She's Everything
by smc-27
Summary: Four months of newlywed bliss. They'd mended all their fences before they were married, and now Lucas and Peyton could just focus on each other and being together. But life happens even quicker than they'd ever imagined. Mostly happy Leyton!
1. She's Everything I Ever Wanted

**A/N:** Well, I started this a while ago and was waiting to post it. Monday's show kind of stole my thunder, but I'm putting this up anyway, because I just can't have something written and just sitting on my computer! It's mostly all fluffy LP, but really? Who doesn't love fluffy LP? Probably isn't my best writing, and I only have a few chapters written and no real idea of where I'm going to go after that, so it'll be an adventure...

Anyway, read away, and let me know what you think.

**----**

Four months of newlywed bliss. They'd mended all their fences before they were married, and now Lucas and Peyton could just focus on each other and being together. 4 months had flown by. They'd taken a week-long honeymoon to Tuscany where they drank wine and ate authentic food and made love and made up for lost time.

They'd fallen into a routine that they both relished. In the morning, he'd get up and make coffee and shower, then he'd wake her up before he left for practice so she could have the bathroom to herself to get ready before going to work. She'd head to the office and put in a full day, and come home to find him writing or reading. They'd make dinner together and chat about their respective days, each giving the other insight on the issues or problems the other encountered.

They were happy and comfortable, and enjoying their time together. It didn't take him any time at all for him to realize that she's everything. It was a broad statement, but he didn't care because he knew it was true, and when he came home one day and played a country song of the same name, she smiled and called him a dork, but whispered that she loved it and she loved him and she'd be everything for him as long as he let her. Neither of them had ever been big fans of country music, but that song became a secret favourite, shared only between the two of them, and every day she'd do something or say something that would remind him of a line in that song. Every once in a while, he'd whisper the line in her ear and she blush and kiss him, and though no one else knew about it, that became their unofficial song. It wasn't played at their wedding, and they rarely listened to it, but they knew all the words,

Each Sunday they'd have 'family dinner' with Nathan and Haley, and the couples alternated hosting duties. The Scotts - all five of them - got together and ate and told stories and joked. It was a tradition Lucas and Nathan had spoken of briefly of when they were younger and longing for some semblance of normal family life. Now they each had it. Nathan had a wife and son who meant the world to him, and who he'd do anything for, and Lucas had finally married the girl of his dreams.

Lucas and Peyton had both gotten exactly what they wanted, and decided to just be _happy_. Anything they had to face, they'd face it together.

----

"Peyton," Haley said, and the blonde quickly snapped out of whatever thought she'd been lost in. "Jeez, I've been trying to get your attention. Everything OK?"

"Uh, yeah. Sorry! Just got caught up for a second," Peyton said with an uneasy smile. The two were in the studio in Peyton's office, putting the finishing touches on one of Peyton's acts' new songs.

"You sure?" Haley asked with a furrowed brow. "Or were you just thinking of your husband again?" she joked.

Peyton smiled at the mention of him. "Yeah, something like that."

"Let's go back to the chorus and I'm going to add the piano this time," Haley instructed, but got no response from her friend. "Peyton, are you sure you're alright?" she asked, tilting her head.

"I'm sorry, Hales. I'm just really tired today. I'm going to grab some tea." Peyton got up from her seat and walked into the main bar area of Tric.

Haley sensed there was something more going on, and as much as she didn't want to pry, she also wanted to make sure there was really nothing wrong. She followed Peyton into the club and saw the blonde sitting at the empty bar, spinning her wedding ring with her right thumb and index finger.

"Peyton, what's up?" Haley pried.

"Everything's fine, Haley. I just think I'm gonna cut out early and try to get some sleep," Peyton said, meeting her friend and sister-in-law's worried gaze.

"You'd tell me if something was going on with you, right? I mean, you know you can talk to me about anything," Haley said, placing her hand on Peyton's forearm.

"Yeah, Haley, I know," Peyton said with a smile, placing her hand over Haley's.

"OK. Well, call me later if you need anything," Haley said, still not convinced.

"I will. Just make sure you lock up when you're done," Peyton instructed with a weak smile. She hopped off the barstool she'd been perched on and walked out of the club to go to her car. She couldn't wait to get home and collapse on her bed and try to escape the thoughts that were running through her head by sleeping.

----

Lucas sat in his office, his eyes fixed on the calendar on his wall, when Nathan strode in. Lucas didn't even acknowledge his brother.

"Luke," Nathan tried. "Hey man," he said, finally pulling his brother's attention away from the wall. "They just checked out Damon's knee. He's going to be fine."

"Oh, good," Lucas said, having completely forgotten about his player's injury from the practice they'd had just a few hours earlier.

"Yeah, he just strained it a bit, so he's in there icing it now," Nathan said, sitting across from Lucas. "You OK, Luke? You seem out of it."

"No, no I'm alright. Just looking at the schedule," he said, turning his attention to his brother.

"So listen, Jamie and I are getting kicked out of the house tomorrow night because of this girls' night thing that Haley, Brooke, and your wife are having," Nathan started. "I thought maybe we could get the guys together for a game at the River Court."

"Yeah, sure. That sounds good," Lucas replied, shuffling the papers on the desk in front of him.

"OK, what's up? I come in here and you're brooding, and now you're barely paying attention to me," Nathan said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"Everything's good, Nate. I just have to get home and try to get some writing done. But call me with the details for tomorrow, alright?" he said, standing from his chair and grabbing his jacket.

"Sure. I'll talk to you later," he said, watching his brother walk out of the room. Something was off, that much he knew. He just couldn't figure out what it was. Usually, any little problem that either of them had, Lucas and Nathan could, and would, talk to each other. All he could do was hope that it was nothing serious, and that his brother would come to him if it was.

----

Lucas pulled up to their house and noticed her car in the driveway. It wasn't normal for her to be home during the day, even though it was a Friday. She took her job seriously and if anything, worked way more hours than she even needed to. It had been one of the sore spots of their young marriage, but he understood her need to put in the time, and she understood that he just wanted even more time with her, which she wasn't going to complain about.

He walked through the front door of the house, expecting to find her in the living room or in the kitchen, but both were empty. He noticed her bag and keys sitting on the kitchen table as he rounded the corner into their bedroom, where he found her laying on top of the covers. She was on her side, with her hands tucked up under her face. She looked beautiful just laying there sleeping in the jeans and tank top she'd put on that morning. She must have felt his staring, because she stirred and her eyes fluttered open. He made his way to the bed and sat next to her, running a hand over her hair.

"You OK?" he asked softly. "I got worried when I saw your car."

"I'm fine. Just got really tired at work," she said with a sleepy grin. "I have to call Haley later. I think she thinks I'm going crazy."

"You sure you're alright?" he asked as he looked to his lap.

She sat up in the bed and rested her back on the headboard. "I'm fine. Why?"

"I just...I don't want this to come out weird or anything, but I just...I notice these things," he started, looking over to meet her eyes again.

"What, Luke? You're scaring me," she said with a worried look.

"It's just...um...I was looking at the calendar today, and I realized that you're..." He tried to finish his sentence, but his mouth went dry and he couldn't find the words. All morning, he'd stared at his calendar, noticing the weeks.

"Late?" she offered timidly, bringing her eyes up to meet his.

"I know it puts me into creepy territory that I even noticed," he said hurriedly.

"Lucas," she said, tilting her head at him, "it's not creepy. You're my husband," she said, and he smiled at her use of the word. "I just...I didn't know how to tell you."

"Are you?" he said frantically, his eyes searching hers for an answer before she even said the words.

"I don't know," she said. "I was too scared to go without you, and it was too early for a home test."

"Peyt, I wish you would have said something," he said, pulling her arm towards him so he could hug her like he knew they both needed.

"I'm sorry," she said. He could hear the worry in her voice.

"Hey," he said, pulling back and looking into her eyes as he brushed a stray piece of hair from her face. "No matter what, it's all going to be OK."

"I know," she said, trying to stop the tear that was pooling in her eye. "It's just really soon for all this. I'm just getting used to being a wife." The tear fell and he reached up to brush it away with the pad of his thumb.

"Baby, you're an amazing wife. And you're going to be an amazing mother, whether that happens in a few months or in a few years," he said with a smile, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"How are you so calm right now?" she asked. "This could change everything."

"Oh, I am _not_ calm," he laughed. "I'm freaking out, but I don't want you to see that." She laughed and rested her forehead against his. He kissed her gently. "So, when can we find out?" he asked softly.

"I made an appointment for Tuesday," she said, and he tilted his head slightly. "I was going to tell you, I swear."

"OK," he said simply and pulled her close again.

"I can't do this without you, Luke," she said, choking back another tear.

"You don't have to, Peyton. I'm right here," he said, rubbing a circle on her back with his hand.

His head was swimming. They'd only just gotten married, but somehow he knew that if they were pregnant, everything would be OK. They had talked about children before they got married, just to make sure they were on the same page, but they'd never put a timeline on it. They were young, that was for sure, but they were successful and stable and happy. That voice in the back of his head was telling him it would be alright, and somehow that voice quieted all the other ones that were telling him he should be be scared out of his mind.

They spent the rest of the evening like they usually did. They made dinner and tidied their kitchen, then settled onto the couch where they both read as music played in the background.

Lucas' cell phone rang around 8:30, and Nathan gave him instructions for the next day. He was told to relay to Peyton that the girls were now going shopping, then having dinner, then heading for their girls' night in at the other Scott household, and that Brooke would pick Peyton up around 1:00.

"Great. Shopping with Brooke," Peyton said when Lucas told her the new plan.

"Come on, how bad can it really be?" he asked.

"Most people need basic military training to get through a day with her at the mall," she joked, making him laugh.

"How are you going to get out of drinking wine with them tomorrow night?" Lucas asked as delicately as he could.

"I hadn't even thought about that," she admitted, and threw him a worried look.

"Well, Haley knew you left early today, right? Just tell them you're not feeling up to it," he said, shrugging his shoulders at the simple plan.

"I knew I married you for a reason," she said with a grin, and kissed his cheek. "But if you ever lie to me, you'll be sorry, Scott," she threatened.

"Wouldn't dream of it," he laughed. "So listen, I've been thinking..." he started.

"Uh oh," she teased, making him roll his eyes and smirk in that way that she'd always found so adorable.

"I've been thinking that when we do have a baby, whenever that is, we _need_ to get him or her a little Ravens jersey," he continued with a bashful grin.

"We talk about having kids and your first concern is what jersey number he'll have?" she said in mock exasperation.

"It's important stuff, Peyt!" he said with a smile. She rolled her eyes.

"Well, I think it should be 21," she stated, looking at him and waiting for his reaction.

"Why 21?" he asked with a furrowed brow.

"You were number 3. 2 plus 1 is 3. And Keith was 22...I just think he should be 21," she said, looking at their intertwined hands.

"You've thought about this before, haven't you?" he asked with a smile.

"Maybe...once or twice," she replied timidly.

"Do you have any idea how sexy that is?" he questioned with a low voice and then kissed her temple.

"I can just see you at the River Court, teaching him to shoot free throws," she said, her voice trailing as she pictured the scene again. She was pulled from her daydream when she saw the wide smile on his face.

"I think we'll have a girl," he stated.

"Really? Don't the Scotts only have boys?" she teased.

"I'd love a little girl," he said, brushing off her comment. "She'd look like her mother and use _all_ the crayons in the box when she coloured. She'd have me wrapped around her finger just like her mother, too," he finished with a sly grin.

"Stop it," she said, playfully swatting his chest. "You do whatever you want."

"But I'm always thinking about you," he said with a smile. She just shook her head at him, though inside she was swooning.

"We shouldn't even be talking about this stuff," she stated. "We don't know anything yet. And besides, I'm terrified about it all."

"Don't be," he said, rubbing his hand up and down her arm.

"Are you?" she asked delicately.

"Yes," he said with a chuckle. "But I'm a guy." She rolled her eyes again and he kissed her cheek, whispered that everything would be fine, and they both went back to their books.

As they got ready for bed that evening, Lucas watched Peyton rub lotion into her hands as she stood next to her side of the bed in her satin night gown. It still took his breath away, how beautiful she was. She was his dream woman, and he got to dream next to her every night. He knew how lucky he was. This time, as he watched her pull back the covers, he saw her as the woman who would someday be the mother to his children.

She'd pulled the covers over her body and watched as he tugged his tee shirt off and tossed it on the chair next to their closet. For so long, she'd wanted him. She'd chased him and dreamed of being with him, and now here they were, sharing a bed and a life with each other. She'd never been happier in her entire life. When she looked at him now, she could picture a son with his eyes and his blonde hair.

He climbed into bed and placed a hand on her satin-covered stomach, and they both smiled quietly into the darkness, thinking of their future together.

**----**

**A/N: **So there is the first chapter. I love feedback. Reviews help me get through the workday. (And trust me, I need the help!)


	2. She Looks Great in Anything

Peyton woke up to the smell of coffee, and saw Lucas walk into the room with a mug of the steaming liquid in his hands. It wasn't an unexpected or rare thing for him to do, but she still smiled at him as she sat up in their bed.

"It's decaf," he informed her.

"Luke," she said, with a tilt of her head.

"Hey, I'm not taking any chances," he replied with a grin.

She took the mug from him and brought it to her lips while checking the clock. "You let me sleep too late!" she complained. "If I don't look my best today, Brooke will walk ten paces in front of me."

He let out a small laugh and sat down next to her on the bed, brushing a curl away from her face and tucking it behind her ear. "I know you were really tired. And you just looked too cute laying there."

"Cute?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"OK, fine. Beautiful, stunning, sexy, gorgeous," he said, rolling his eyes. "You need me to go on?"

"Stop it," she said, swatting his thigh. "Smart ass." She set her mug on the table beside her.

He leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. "I'll go start the shower for you."

"Hey," she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him back to her. "Come here." She brought her lips to his and kissed him passionately. His hands found their way to her hair and he moaned when her hands slipped beneath the fabric of his tee shirt. When they finally parted with the need to breathe, he smiled at her and pressed his forehead to hers. He looked down just in time to see her bite her bottom lip gently. He'd seen _that_ before. He knew what that meant.

"What happened to needing to get ready?" he said softly, rubbing the spot below her ear gently with his thumb.

"You did," she said as she looked into his eyes and kissed him again.

----

Brooke arrived to pick Peyton up just before 1:00. She and Haley went to the door and walked in without knocking to find Lucas sitting on the couch watching sports highlights. He turned to see who had come into his house before the TV took his attention again.

"Doesn't anybody knock anymore?" he asked sarcastically.

Their door was always open to their friends. It wasn't odd for him to come home to see both Haley and Brooke sitting at his kitchen table with his wife, all drinking tea and venting about their days at work. Nor was it unprecedented that Peyton would come home to find Lucas, Nathan, Skills and Mouth on her sofa, shouting at the television as they watched a game. Invitations were scarcely necessary.

"Hi Luke," Brooke and Haley said in unison.

"One minute!" Peyton shouted from the bedroom. "I need one more minute!"

The three of them chuckled at Peyton's frantic voice and overused statement. She always needed 'one more minute'.

"Luke, can you come in here?" she yelled.

Lucas stood from the couch and smiled at the two women standing in his living room before walking to the bedroom to see what his wife needed him for. He closed the door behind him and put his hands in his pockets.

"What's up?" he asked nonchalantly.

"You're not going to say anything to Nate, right?" she asked in a panic. Her back was to him as she looked for something in their closet.

"Not till we know one way or the other," he said and she turned to face him. He was stricken by how gorgeous she looked. She was wearing jeans and brown leather boots, and a tight black tank top. She was holding a white sweater in her hands, and her hair was framing her face just perfectly. She'd put on minimal makeup, which was how he loved to see her - letting her natural beauty stand on its own. He stared at his amazing wife and wondered how he got so lucky.

"What?" she asked with a confused look, confused by his blatant staring.

He shook his head gently as if to pull himself out of his daydream. "You look incredible," he said sincerely, walking towards her.

"I look...normal," she said, glancing down at her outfit. He placed his hands on her hips.

"Gorgeous," he whispered into her ear and placed a kiss just beneath her earlobe.

"OK, Lucas, our friends are in the next room. Try to control yourself," she teased, pulling away from him.

"Easy for you to say," he said as she walked past him and towards the dresser. "You aren't seeing what I'm seeing."

"Stop!" she insisted, spraying perfume onto her wrists. He smiled at the blush that was creeping to her cheeks as she pulled on the sweater she'd been holding. He loved that they still had that effect on each other; stealing glances or getting that redness on their faces when they caught the other looking.

"What'd you call me in here for?" he asked with a chuckle, clearly having forgotten her initial question.

"Don't tell Nathan," she ordered and he responded with a nod. "I have to go." She kissed him quickly and swung the door open, walking out with him behind her. Brooke and Haley both noticed that her face was red.

"See you girls later," Lucas said, watching his wife grab her purse off the table. He shot her a wink when she looked back at him.

"Bye Luke," Brooke and Haley said in unison, both laughing that they'd greeted him and said goodbye in stereo.

The three women climbed into Brooke's vehicle and Brooke wasted no time pointing out her friend's red face.

"So, what's with the blushing, P. Scott?" she teased.

"Nothing! Luke was just teasing me," Peyton said, hoping to brush off the focus on her.

"Oh, I bet he was," Brooke said with a grin.

"OK, can we not talk about this?" Haley insisted. "He's practically my brother."

"Fine. I don't want to hear about your boring married sex anyway!" Brooke proclaimed as she steered her SUV down the street.

Both Haley and Peyton grinned and exchanged a glance. They both knew their friend was secretly jealous of their married lives. They each hoped that Brooke would find someone to share her life with sooner, rather than later.

She'd had only a couple of moderately serious relationships - Chase and then Owen - but had yet to find that one person for her who would understand everything. With Chase it was young love; too naive and too fearless and perhaps too fragile to last the long distance. And then with Owen, he simply wouldn't commit, and she simply wouldn't wait. A couple poorly timed remarks from him about a couple of her choices, and she ended it in dramatic fashion and had barely spoken a word to him since.

And with everyone settling down around her, she wanted to think that something was waiting for her just around the next corner. She just wondered how many _next corners_ she'd have to turn.

----

Lucas left his house earlier than he had to and drove to the River Court. He wanted a few minutes alone on the asphalt with his thoughts before everyone else arrived, but apparently Skills had the same idea. He got out of his car and his friend immediately tossed him the ball.

"Hey Luke," Skills greeted him.

"Hey man," Luke responded as he walked toward his friend and pressed their fists together. "Thought I'd be the first one here."

"Yeah, I figured you'd get here early," Skills said. "Look, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, what's up?" Lucas replied, freezing the ball at his hip.

"Tell me if I'm crossin' any lines or whatever, but what can you tell me about Brooke?" Skills asked nervously.

"I can tell you a lot of things about Brooke," Lucas laughed. "What do you mean?" He noticed Skills shuffle his feet while looking at the ground. "Do you....are you into her?"

"I dunno," Skills said, looking up at Lucas. "Lately, it's been you and Peyton, Nathan and Haley. We've been kind of tagging along and I've gotten to know her a little better."

"You _do_ like her," Lucas said with a smile.

"She's just....she's a great girl," Skills admitted with a grin. "I just doubt she'd give some dude from the River Court a shot."

"She gave me one," Lucas said with a laugh, throwing the ball towards the net.

"You think I'm crazy?" Skills asked, running to catch the rebound

"Not at all. Go for it," Lucas said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well, see, I was thinking you could maybe get some inside info for me," Skills said, sending up a shot as he tried to downplay the significance of his request.

"You mean since my wife is her best friend? I'll see what I can do." Lucas just laughed and clapped his friend on the back. Never had he thought that Skills and Brooke would get together, but it actually didn't seem like a bad idea.

Just as they'd finished their conversation, Junk and Fergie walked onto the court, and Nathan and Jamie pulled up not to long after. Mouth came by after a while and the boys played basketball as they joked and spent their afternoon together. Any passersby could tell how much they all loved the game - even the youngest of the group, wearing his Ravens jersey. Nathan's play drew a small crowd of spectators, as most people never believed he'd play again, and he was almost back to his old self.

After their game, the guys went back to Lucas and Peyton's house to watch a basketball game. They crowded around the living room with beers in their hands and empty pizza boxes on the table in front of them and decided this should be a more regular occurrence. Jamie sat on Lucas' lap while he cheered on the Bobcats, and the older blonde couldn't help but think that that was something he could get used to.

----

Brooke, Peyton and Haley spent their day strolling through the mall, with Brooke being surprisingly calm, compared to her usual shopping intensity. They'd each bought a few things before departing for dinner at their favourite restaurant, then they headed to Haley's house where they sat outside on the deck, taking advantage of the beautiful fall day and chatting over wine, which Peyton had politely refused, using Lucas' suggestion from the night before as her excuse.

"This was a great day, girls," Brooke stated as the sun had almost disappeared.

"It was," Haley agreed, smiling at her friends.

"We should do this more often before either of you ends up preggers," Brooke said nonchalantly. Peyton nearly spit out the cranberry juice she'd just taken a sip of.

"You OK?" Haley asked with a chuckle.

"Fine, yeah," Peyton said, coughing. "Just went down the wrong way."

Brooke's attention went back to the sky above them and Haley shot a curious glance in Peyton's direction, which the blonde just smiled weakly at in return. Haley was onto her, but knew better than to say anything out loud. If Peyton wanted them to know anything, she would have said the words, so Haley decided it best to just wait until something was confirmed.

"So, Brooke, any new men in your life?" Haley asked, changing the subject.

"No one new, no," she said cryptically.

"OK, who is he?" Peyton asked with a grin, leaning forward to show her interest.

"No one! There's no one," Brooke insisted.

"Liar!" Haley shouted. "Who is it!?"

"Ugh!" Brooke huffed. "It's nothing. Just...lately Antwon and I have been kind of the fifth and sixth wheels, and..."

"You like Skills!" Peyton shouted gleefully.

"Shut up!" Brooke demanded.

"You do! You called him _Antwon_!" Haley teased, singing the name in a way that she knew would embarrass Brooke even more.

"God, forget I said anything," Brooke said, red-faced. The fact that Brooke was reacting that way told Haley and Peyton that she was completely serious about her interest in their long-time friend.

"No, I'm sorry," Peyton said genuinely, reaching out to touch her best friend's arm. "I think you should go for it."

"Seriously, Brooke. He's a great person," Haley offered.

"Really? You don't think it would be strange?" Brooke asked timidly.

"Strange? Why? He's great, you're amazing, you're spending time together and getting to know one another," Peyton said.

"And he's _fine_," Brooke said suggestively, making the three of them burst into laughter, and Haley and Peyton just shake their heads, trying to comprehend exactly what it was that Brooke was saying. They exchanged a look that basically said that whatever would make Brooke happy, would make them happy, no matter how out of left field it was.

"I'm going to run to the washroom, then we should go," Peyton said, looking to Brooke.

"Yeah, I suppose it's late," Brooke agreed, grabbing her purse.

Peyton and Brooke said goodbye to Haley and were walking out the door just as Nathan was walking up the front steps with a sleeping Jamie in his arms. Brooke kissed the child's forehead, and Peyton offered a small smile as they passed them on their way to the car.

Peyton thanked Brooke for the ride, and walked into her house to find Lucas finishing up the dishes.

"Hey baby," he said, drying his hands and kissing her forehead. "What's wrong?" he asked when he noticed the look on her face.

"I got it," she said softly.

"Got it?" he questioned, squinting his cluelessness, before realizing what she was talking about. "Oh. You got it."

She sat down at the table and he brought her a glass of water and sat next to her. "That's good, though. Right?" he asked tentatively, placing his hand on hers.

"I guess so," she said as a tear pooled in her eye. "I don't know why I'm upset."

"Peyt..." he started, as he rubbed her hand.

"I just...Part of me was just getting used to the idea. All I kept picturing was you holding our baby, then I saw Nate tonight carrying Jamie, and I..." she said, as the tear fell. "I'm sorry."

He pulled his chair closer to hers and placed his hands on her thighs. "Don't you dare say you're sorry," he demanded with a smile.

"I never thought I'd be disappointed," she admitted quietly. "I mean, I'm really loving this time with just the two of us, and I don't want to rush anything, but..."

"You want a baby someday," he finished, and she smiled through her tears because he understood. Of course he did. "Want to know a secret?" he asked, looking to his hands. "I feel the same as you."

Her eyes met his and she smiled weakly. "You do?"

"I love that it's just the two of us, too. But I can't wait to be a dad," he said with a genuine smile. "And I can't wait to see you as a mom." He picked up her hand and kissed her wedding ring. "You're going to be amazing," he whispered.

She placed a hand on the back of his neck and pulled his head towards hers. She pressed her lips to his softly, and he could taste the salt of her tears, and that, right there, damn near broke his heart.

"Thank you," she whispered as she leaned her forehead against his. Lucas pulled away smiling at his wife.

"Someday, Peyton," he said with a smile. "So you want to hear something crazy?" he asked after a few moments.

"I certainly do," she said, wiping her cheeks.

"Skills has a little crush on Brooke," he said, and watched as Peyton's eyes went wide, making his narrowed in confusion. "What?"

"Brooke has a thing for Skills!" she said excitedly.

"Really?" he asked. "He asked me to do some re-con for him. I just didn't think it'd be this easy."

"This is so great!" she squealed, making him laugh at her enthusiasm. "We have to set them up!"

The two of them started laughing at their friends' mutual interest in one another. He loved that her tears had dried and she could laugh with him, but he knew that she was still harbouring some disappointment about the child they weren't having. He didn't want to drag down the mood and make her cry again, so he left the topic alone, but he knew they'd have to have a serious conversation on the topic of children. He started wondering to himself if maybe they were more ready than they'd originally thought.

Something inside him just _ached_ to start a family with her.


	3. She's the Hand That I'm Holding

**A/N: **OK. As I keep writing this, there are a couple things to clear up.

ONE: The whole Lindsey debacle never happened. Basically, Lucas never really had his head quite that far up his......yeah. Anyway, Lindsey didn't exist that way. She will play a part in this story later on, though.

TWO: People are asking about Skills and Brooke...I wrote them together in a different story, and since then I've kind of been in love with the idea...so yeah, they are one of my guilty pleasure ships that we all know will never happen. So I'm writing them so that I can create my own new story line! Skills and Deb never hooked up because I kind of don't like that story line at all.

Hope that clears things up. If there's anything else, just ask.

This is kind of a filler chapter, but it's necessary to propel the story forward.

----

Nathan and Haley stood in their kitchen, him preparing cereal for himself, and her pouring a cup of coffee. He perched himself on a stool at the counter and watched as she haphazardly pulled her hair out of her face with an elastic. He couldn't hide his grin as he looked at her, and she smiled in return.

"So has Lucas been acting weird lately?" she asked, stirring milk into her mug.

"Yeah, he has actually," he admitted.

"Peyton's been really out of it. The other day I couldn't get her to focus on anything, and she left early. Then yesterday, she was just...off," Haley explained as she took a seat next to him. She didn't want to fill him in on her suspicion, since it was just speculation. The last thing she needed was to inadvertently start a rumor.

"They can't be having problems," he insisted, taking a spoonful of cereal.

"I don't know. Something's up, though." She placed her hand on his thigh unconsciously, and a smile spread to his face again. "What?" she asked innocently.

"Nothing," he said through his grin.

He just loved all the little things she did like that. Almost 7 years of marriage, and they had fallen into that beautiful comfort, where they each did things the other loved, and they had absolutely no clue of the little, day-to-day things that made each other smile.

"Well, we're having dinner there tonight so maybe they'll fill us in," she pointed out.

"Or, maybe we could _not_ meddle in their relationship," he said, earning him a playful slap on the leg. "Or, maybe everything will be back to normal."

"I hope so. I like them happy," she admitted wistfully.

"Me too," he said, kissing her temple.

"Nathan!" she squealed. "Now I have Cap'n Crunch and milk on my face."

"What? You love Cap'n Crunch," he teased, shrugging his shoulders as he grinned at her.

And she was about to argue, but he was right; she really did love Cap'n Crunch.

----

It was an early fall evening; the kind where you need to wear a sweater and the leaves are just beginning to turn from green. Jamie was running through the yard at Lucas and Peyton's while the four adults watched as he jumped and played, shouting for them to join him. Nathan and Lucas ran towards him and Lucas lifted him over his shoulder and spun him around, making the child giggle and shout happily.

Peyton and Haley just watched the scene unfold before them with smiles on their faces. Before Haley could ask if everything was OK, Peyton broke the silence.

"So, guess what?" she asked the brunette as they sat on the porch swing.

"What?"

"Skills has a little thing for Brooke, too!" Peyton dished.

"Really?" Haley asked excitedly.

"Apparently he asked Luke for inside info," she explained, pushing the swing slightly with her feet on the ground.

"Wow," Haley said. She looked back to the yard where Jamie was running from the two grown men. "Who would have thought? Although, when you think of it, it makes sense."

"I know, right? It's kind of weird that it didn't happen sooner," Peyton agreed.

After sitting in silence for a moment, Haley asked what she'd been dying to ask for three days. "Is everything OK with you?"

"Yeah, why?" Peyton asked with a furrowed brow. Everything was OK now, but she knew what Haley was referring to. She had been acting strange for a few days, and she felt bad not talking to her best friends about it.

"You just haven't seemed like yourself for the past couple days. I just wanted to make sure everything was good with you and Luke," she said, rushing her words out of worry.

"Everything's fine. I just wasn't feeling that great, that's all." It wasn't a lie, or so she told herself. It was just not the entire truth. But she didn't want their friends to know the real reason for her acting so distant.

"So you two are good?" Haley asked, her concern finally relenting.

Peyton looked towards the yard, where Jamie had pinned his uncle down and was attempting to tickle the older blonde. "We're great," she admitted. That was the truth.

Haley's gaze followed her friend's. "You guys should have one," she stated, making Peyton let out a breathy chuckle.

"Someday," she smiled, looking at her friend, who smiled back. All she could think of was that word and the way that Lucas had said it the night before. She found herself hoping that _someday_ would come really soon.

"OK, boys," Haley shouted, getting up from her place and walking down the steps of the porch. "We should get home. We all have work tomorrow."

"I don't have work, mama!" Jamie shouted in protest.

"You aren't going to help me at practice tomorrow?" Lucas asked, lifting the child into his arms.

"That's not work, uncle Luke. You don't pay me," he pointed out and the four adults laughed.

"Your uncle Luke is poor, son. He can't afford to pay you," Nathan joked.

"Sorry you're poor, uncle Luke," Jamie said sincerely. Haley and Peyton laughed at the statement.

Lucas kissed the child on the forehead and handed him to his father. "Thanks, Jamie."

"We'll see you guys later," Haley said, hugging Lucas and Peyton. "Thanks for dinner."

They said their goodbyes and watched as their family drove off towards their own house. Peyton made them some tea and they sat under a blanket on the porch swing as it got dark, just rocking slowly and talking.

It was something they'd started in the summer, right after their honeymoon when they were craving that sense of home, and wanting to create it together. He'd asked, when the weather was still warm, what they'd do once it turned colder, and she said they'd manage, but she didn't want to give up those nights with him. They didn't do it all the time; just one or two nights a week, when everything was quiet in their little town. Sometimes they'd read, or talk, or kiss, but more often than not, they'd just sit, each pushing with their feet and keeping a steady rhythm, content to just exist together in the silence.

"You're so good with him," Peyton pointed out, recalling the way he acted with Jamie.

"Jamie? I guess so," Lucas said modestly, putting his arm around her.

"Are you kidding? That kid loves you," she said with a smile.

"You too," he whispered, kissing her temple as she leaned in closer to his side. "Nathan says he calls you his cool aunt Peyton."

"I _am_ cool aunt Peyton," she stated and felt him chuckle.

"So, should we talk about it?" he asked after a few moments.

"About what?"

"Kids. When we're going to have them," he clarified, and she pulled back to look at him.

"We probably should," she said, looking down into her mug.

"You know, I thought that we should wait a year before even considering it. But now I feel like...I don't know. I feel like I might be ready," he quietly confessed, and he noticed the smile on her face as he finished.

"Yeah?" she asked hopefully.

"Well, contrary to what my brother says, we're not poor. And once this book is released, we'll be even better. I mean, obviously it's not just my decision to make, but I think we could do it, Peyt," he finished.

"Just now when I saw you with Jamie, I felt like I was so ready," she said, placing her arm on his on the back of the swing.

"But?" he asked, looking down.

"But nothing," she admitted. "I just worry about your book tour and me being alone."

"The tour is only a month," he pointed out.

"And you're going to leave your potentially pregnant and hormonal wife at home to fend for herself?" she asked, trying not to get upset that he didn't understand her concern.

"You'd have Nathan and Haley and Brooke and everyone," he countered.

"OK, fine, Luke. But none of those people are you!" she argued.

"Are we really going to fight about this?" he huffed. "I mean, is there a rush on this?"

"OK, you're confusing me, Lucas, because two seconds ago you were ready to paint freaking ducks on a nursery wall, and now you're saying you want to wait," she said, as calmly as she could.

"I'm only saying that because you just told me you didn't want to be alone!" he proclaimed, louder than he intended. "Maybe this is a conversation we should have inside where the neighbours can't hear us."

"Maybe we just shouldn't have it at all," she said softly, but there was disappointment and defeat in her voice.

"Peyton..."

"No Luke," she interrupted. "If we can't agree on this, we're clearly not ready."

With that, she took the empty mug from his hands and rose to walk back into the house. She was in the kitchen drying the dishes they'd done earlier, when he came back inside and dropped the blanket they'd been beneath onto the couch.

He stood leaning against the door frame of the kitchen and watched her as she put glasses away in the cupboard. She didn't acknowledge he was there, because she knew he hated when she did that, and she was just in that kind of mood.

"Can you please not just shut down?" he requested, crossing his arms.

"I'm not," she shrugged, with her back still to him. She could practically hear him rolling his eyes in frustration. "I'm just not talking about it any more."

"And if you're not calling that shutting down, what are you calling it?" he asked, slightly annoyed.

She placed her hands on the counter in front of her and hung her head. She knew she was being difficult. She hated fighting with him, because they'd spent so much time apart and all she wanted to do was _love_ him. And she knew this argument was kind of silly, though the subject certainly wasn't. This was a huge, life changing decision, and they needed to have a serious conversation, so though it almost killed her to do it, she gave in.

"It would be nice if you could for once, _not_ be right," she said, not moving from her position.

He heard her smile as she spoke, and walked towards her, placing his hands on her hips as he stood behind her. He knew how hard it would have been for her to be the first to cave, so he met her halfway.

"Sorry," he said softly.

"For what?" she asked. "For being a jerk or for being right?"

He laughed slightly. "Both?"

"Good." She moved from her place and continued tidying the kitchen.

"Come here," he said, grabbing her elbow and gently pulling her towards him. "I want to have a baby with you." His tone was soft but convincing, and she could see in his eyes how true the statement was.

A smile spread across her face. How could she _not_ smile at that admission?

This is how their arguments went. They'd get angry for about five minutes, one would walk away, then ten minutes later all was forgiven and they were in each others' arms.

"Two days ago you were terrified, and now you have like, baby fever," she teased, snaking her arms around him.

"Well, if you think about it," he started, grabbing her hand and leading her to the living room, "if we wait until after the book tour, that's another month and a half before we're even trying. Then 9 months after that, assuming it happens right away. That's almost a full year from now." She sat on the couch and he sat on the coffee table in front of her.

"Jeez!" she exclaimed. "How much have you thought about this?"

"Just a little bit, I swear," he insisted, a slight blush creeping to his cheeks.

"If you weren't so adorable right now, I'd probably make fun of you," she said, leaning forward and kissing him sweetly.

"Does that mean you're OK with that timeline?" he asked, intertwining his fingers with hers.

"It means that I think we should sit down at a later date and seriously see if we can do it."

"Oh, we can do it," he joked, raising his eyebrows and grinning suggestively.

"Lucas," she warned. "I'm serious. I want to be smart about this."

"You're right," he agreed.

"I think that timeline sounds alright. And can we not tell people, especially your mom, until the time comes?" She looked into his eyes to prove she was serious.

"Why not?" he asked innocently.

"Please! First time grandmother? You remember how Deb was," she pointed out with a laugh.

"Come on. Give my mother more credit than that. She's a _little_ bit less crazy than Deb," he argued with a smile.

"For now! Until she finds out she's going to have a grandchild," she teased, making him smirk and roll his eyes at her, but he nodded, because he understood what she was saying.

"Are we really going to do this?" he asked, almost shocked, looking at their intertwined hands and the bands that adorned them.

"After the book tour?" she inquired quietly.

"After the book tour," he repeated, leaning forward to kiss her.

This was the life she'd always wanted. A family with a man who loved her more than anything. She wanted the kind of family she'd only had for a short amount of time before it had been ripped from her so unceremoniously.

She had always known, probably from their first kiss, that Lucas was the one for her. They were meant for each other. She remembered that conversation at 18, dreaming of their future together and talking about that far-off day when they'd have a baby.

That day seemed closer than ever, and knowing that made her happier than she ever imagined.


	4. She's a Fighter When She's Mad

**A/N:** I know...Updating like crazy. What can I say? This story is making me smile, and the more I write of it, the quicker I want to post.

**----**

Just over a week had passed since they argument and ensuing agreement. They hadn't talked about it since then, but there was no need. Peyton, the business woman that she was, had secretly crunched some numbers just to ensure they would be secure, financially, and everything looked great. Lucas' book was about to hit shelves, so that meant more money coming in, and she was about to release a new album for one of her artists. Also, being her own boss, she decided that she wouldn't need to take a long maternity leave if she didn't want to. She hadn't told Lucas she'd done any of this, but she didn't have to. She just needed to know for herself that everything would be OK.

Lucas was at the River Court with Nathan, and it was the first time they'd been alone to talk all week long, since Haley's concerns surfaced. Nathan had had enough of his wife's questioning, and decided that he'd at least ask Lucas if everything was OK with him and Peyton.

"So, Haley said Peyton was acting a little weird last week. And I know you were acting weird. So what's the deal?" Nathan asked as they took a break from their game.

"Everything's fine," Lucas simply said.

"OK, now it's fine. But what was going on? She said Peyton left work early, and you were a zombie last Friday," Nathan pointed out.

"Right, well. We just...um..." Lucas' voice trailed as his eyes found his brother's. "We had a bit of a scare, if you can call it that."

"Oh," Nathan managed to say.

"Yeah. It was a little intense for a bit there," said the blonde.

"I bet. So she's not?" Nathan asked delicately.

"No, not now," Lucas answered, taking a sip from his bottle of water.

"What do you mean 'not now'?" There was concern in Nathan's voice that something bad had happened, but Lucas shook his head reassuringly.

"We just talked about it, you know? After we found out she wasn't pregnant, we both were a little disappointed," Lucas admitted, looking to his brother and trying to read his face. Surprise was the clear emotion.

"Wow," Nathan said, with a smile and a nod. He was happy for his brother and his best friend. They deserved all the happiness they could grasp, and this would surely make them happy. He knew they'd both be great parents.

"Yeah. So after the book tour, we're going to start trying." Lucas was beaming. He hadn't said it aloud to anyone other than Peyton the night they first talked about it, and it made it even more real to admit it to someone, especially his brother.

"That's awesome, man!" Nathan said, standing and pulling his brother into a manly hug. "Haley's going to go nuts."

"Oh shit!" Lucas exclaimed, covering his mouth with his hand. "I wasn't supposed to say anything! She's insisting we don't tell people."

Nathan laughed. His brother was whipped. But then again, so was he. "Look, if Haley asks me flat out, I can't lie to her. But I won't say anything unless she does."

"Thanks," Lucas said, grabbing the ball and shooting from the sidelines. "Now let's play before your back starts to hurt or I can't play any more on account of my heart."

"Dude, we're not even 25. Don't make us sound so old," Nathan said with a laugh, grabbing the ball from his brother.

----

After finishing his session with Lucas, Nathan was scheduled to stop and see Peyton at her office for coffee. He wasn't really sure how to act around her, now that he was one of three people, her included, who knew about this huge piece of news. So he tried his best to act normal, but when he didn't catch onto a few of her jokes, she knew something was off.

"What's up with you, Nate? You're acting weird," she inquired from her place at the large desk in her office.

"Nothing! Just thinking, that's all," he tried. She cocked an eyebrow and he knew he had been found out.

"I can tell when you're lying, Nathan, that's why I was pissed at you for 90 per cent of our entire relationship," she pointed out, only half-joking. "What?"

"I just...I talked to Lucas today," he admitted, hoping she'd catch on without him having to come out and admit what he knew.

"OK. And?" she asked, confusion on her face.

"And he told me about your guys' plans," he said quietly, knowing he'd just gotten Lucas, and possibly himself, in a lot of trouble.

"Oh," she mumbled. "Right."

"Peyton, I think it's awesome," he said, leaning forward and smiling at his best friend and sister-in-law.

"Thanks, Nathan. That means a lot," she offered sincerely. "Doesn't change the fact that I'm going to _kill_ your brother, so the plan might not work out."

"Oh, come on," he said, tilting his head slightly. "You can't expect him to keep that to himself. You know him."

"Yeah, I know him," she admitted, looking to the paper cup in her hands. Maybe it had been too much to ask that he not tell anyone. But she had still asked, and he hadn't done it.

Nathan stood from where he was and walked around the desk. "Get up," he ordered.

"What?" she asked as she rose from her chair. He wrapped his arms around her and she reciprocated.

"I'm happy for you, Sawyer," he said. He still called her by the nickname he'd given her in high school, even though it wasn't her legal last name any more. "Me and Haley are here for you if you need anything at all, OK? Anything."

"OK Nate. Thanks," she said, pulling back from him and offering a genuine smile. He was rarely this sentimental with her, and she knew it was because this announcement, though there was really nothing to announce yet, changed things.

----

"Lucas Eugene!" she shouted, bursting through the door of their house. He cringed as he heard her slam the door behind her, and timidly looked over at her from where he was sitting in a wing back chair with his laptop resting on his knees.

"What are you middle naming me for?" he asked, taking in the irritated look on her face. He immediately regretted his decision to ask the question when he saw the familiar fury in her eyes. 

_This_ was not going to be a fun conversation.

"I can't believe you!" she shouted, still standing closer to the door than she was to him. The confusion on his face must have been all too evident, because she continued speaking without him saying a word. "You told Nathan!"

"Peyton, he's my brother," Lucas said calmly in defense of his actions.

"And I told you not to say anything! I specifically asked you to keep your stupid mouth shut!" she shouted at him, now walking towards him but leaving the coffee table between them as she stood in front of the couch.

"He asked me what was going on last week and didn't buy that it was nothing. I couldn't lie," he said, placing his computer on the table that was separating them.

"Well now he knows and got all weird around me!" she said, raising her hands in defeat.

"What do you mean weird?" he asked, narrowing his eyes and tilting his head, trying to hide his smile.

"He was treating me like I'm some fragile little girl who's going to cry any second! You know, Luke, you don't always have to tell _every_one _every_thing!" She hoped he wouldn't counter her exaggeration and prove that it was one. He stood and walked around the coffee table so he was only a few feet from where she was standing.

"You look hot when you're mad," he said with a cheeky grin.

"Lucas!" she shouted angrily. "I am serious!"

"So am I," he said in a lusty growl and moved closer to her. "I should piss you off more often if it gets you acting like this."

"Stop it," she demanded, realizing the red in her cheeks was now being caused by both anger and these comments.

"Come on, baby. You know you can't stay mad at me," he said, placing his hands on her hips.

"Lucas, I _am_ mad. And you're not even apologizing!" she stated, irritation evident in her voice. She did her best to ignore the sensation of his thumbs moving in slow circles on her hips.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in her ear as he kissed the hinge of her jaw. She closed her eyes, getting caught up in him momentarily, before remembering they were mid-argument.

"Not going to work," she said defiantly, pressing her hands against his chest. "You can't just kiss me and make it better, Luke!"

"Kissing always makes it better," he replied with a grin.

"OK, Do you need a cold shower or something?" she asked with irritation in her voice, trying to hide the smile that was threatening to break on her lips. Her resolve was wearing thin at his confident advances.

"That depends," he said, looping his thumbs through her belt loops and pulling her towards him. "Are you going to join me?"

"I'll tell you what," she started, placing her hands on his shoulders. "You give me an _actual_ apology, and I'll think about _maybe_ doing something for you."

"Like what?" he asked, raising his eyebrows in lustful curiosity.

"Depends on how genuine your words are," she said coldly, stepping away from him as he sighed.

"OK, I'm sorry I talked to Nathan. But I don't tell everyone everything. Just...he's our family and I had to talk to someone," he admitted with a sheepish grin.

"You could have talked to me," she said sadly. She wanted them to be able to share everything, and she wasn't sure why he hadn't just told her what was on his mind. She realized, as he probably did, that that was her reason for being so mad.

"I did talk to you, baby. Nate just gives me a different perspective, that's all." He looked to the floor as he spoke. "No one ever understands me like you do."

She smiled at his quiet admittance and pressed her lips to his. That was what she'd wanted to hear. She wanted him to tell her that he only needed her. She hadn't told Brooke or Haley about their 'scare' or their plans, and he knew as much. She didn't need anyone else to know but him, because she knew that his advice and sentiment was more than enough.

"So," he said as they pulled apart, "what are you going to do for me?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You'll find out later," she said quickly and turned towards the door. "I just came home to yell at you. I have to go meet Haley for coffee."

"You are a cruel, cruel woman!" he said shaking his head. She stopped in her tracks and walked back to him. She kissed him hard on the mouth, and placed her hands beneath his shirt and ran them up his stomach, feeling the muscles tighten under her touch.

"I was kidding," she said with a shrug as she pulled away, in response to the confused look on his face.

"Cruel," he repeated before capturing her lips with his.

----

They lay in bed and joked that it wasn't even dinnertime and they were tangled in their sheets.

"Nathan was right. The best part about fighting with you is making up with you." He kissed her bare shoulder as her back was to his chest

"Please tell me that you two do _not_ talk about me like that!" She spun her head around to look at him.

"Well apparently, we're not allowed to talk about you at all," he teased, earning him a playful slap to the cheek.

"Why don't you go make me dinner before your mouth gets you into more trouble?" she said, stifling a laugh.

"What do you feel like?" he asked, kissing the back of her neck and brushing her hair to the side with his hand. She shivered at the contact; he always knew just where to touch her.

"OK, that's not the kind of trouble I thought it would get you into," she muttered, turning to face him.

"What?" he asked in mock innocence and she raised an eyebrow at him. "OK, OK. What would you like for dinner?"

"Mmm...French toast," she insisted.

"You want French toast for dinner," he stated, looking at her questioningly and she nodded. He could only shake his head. "You are quite a woman."

He rose from the bed and pulled on a pair of flannel pants. She watched him as he retreated to the kitchen, his torso still tanned from the summer months, and was overcome with love for everything about him. She got out of their bed and pulled the shirt he'd been wearing over her arms and buttoned it before walking into the kitchen. She leaned against the doorway and watched as he broke eggs into a bowl, granting her request for breakfast for dinner.

"I love you, you know that?" she said from where she was standing. He turned and smiled at her, and she walked towards him to wrap her arms around his body.

"Yeah, but I never get tired of hearing it," he said, kissing her temple.

"Sorry I went a little crazy earlier," she said, pulling away to free his hands so he could return to cooking.

"Sorry I made you a little crazy earlier," he said with a laugh.

They were halfway through their dinner, complete with fresh strawberries and maple syrup, when Brook came walking through the door into the kitchen, catching them mid-laugh.

"OK...post-coital French toast," she stated. "You married people are weird."

"Don't say post-coital, Brooke," Peyton warned with a smile.

"Please! He's half naked and you're wearing his shirt," she said, pointing to the now blushing couple as they glanced at each other.

"What can we do for you, Brooke?" Lucas asked, dropping his hand to his wife's bare thigh. As soon as he'd done it, it wished he hadn't, because all he wanted was to feel more of her, and the presence of a feisty brunette in their house was standing in the way of that.

"I am going out with Antwon tonight and I need to know if this outfit is OK," she said embarrassedly, spinning in her place to show off her dress.

"You drove all the way over here to get our opinion on a dress?" Lucas asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not yours!" she argued, then pointed to Peyton. "Hers!"

"Brooke, you look amazing," Peyton confirmed.

"You do. And don't be so nervous. It's just Skills," Lucas added. He shrugged and tossed a strawberry into his mouth nonchalantly.

"OK first of all, this is the first real date I've been on in...so long you don't even want to know. Second of all, I just want to look good," she admitted quietly.

"Trust me, Brooke, he will think you look good," Peyton confirmed. "Now go!"

"Fine!" Brooke said, exasperated, heading back towards the door. "I'll let you two get back to whatever boring things married people do."

"Jealous!" Peyton teased.

"Yeah, a little," Brooke said with a smile, then pulled the door open.

"Good luck," Lucas said and she raised her hand before in acknowledgment before closing the door behind her. He turned back to Peyton and shook his head. "Skills doesn't know what he's getting himself into."

"Not a clue," she laughed.

----

"Hales!" Nathan shouted as he walked through the front door of his home. "Haley!"

"Hi," she said calmly, walking from the kitchen to greet him with a kiss.

"You'll never guess what I just saw," he said, the grin on his lips telling her it was something she definitely wanted to hear.

"What?" she asked as she walked back to the kitchen to finish preparing their dinner.

"Skills and Brooke on a date," he said. He picked a raw carrot off the cutting board between them and tossed it in his mouth.

"Oh really?!" she asked.

"Yup. I saw them going into The Waterside." He smiled in response to the look of happiness on his wife's face.

"Pretty fancy place," she stated, wiggling her eyebrows and making him laugh.

"Where's James?" Nathan asked, turning to the fridge to grab a beer. It was later than they usually ate, but his training session was bumped from its regular time.

"He's at nanny Deb's for the night," she said, her eyes meeting his again.

"Is that right?" he asked, walking behind his wife and wrapping his arms around her mid section. "What are we going to do in this big, quiet house all alone?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'll think of something," she said nonchalantly as he kissed her neck.

"So is this some sort of romantic dinner you're making for me?" he asked, leaning back against the counter behind them and unabashedly checking out his wife.

"It's whatever kind of dinner you want it to be," she said seductively, turning to him as they both started laughing. "Hey, so did you talk to Lucas today?"

"Uh, yeah I did," he said, taking a sip of his beer. "Everything's good."

"You'd tell me if something was going on, right?"

"Of course, Hales," he said, but his eyes wouldn't meet hers. He knew he'd been found out when she tilted her head slightly and glared at him.

"What aren't you telling me. Is Peyton pregnant?" she asked, her tone completely serious. He just about choked on the amber liquid that was in his mouth. "She _is_! I knew it!"

"No. She's not," he insisted, shaking his head vehemently.

"Then what brought on that reaction?" she asked accusingly. "What aren't you telling me, Nathan?"

"I promised not to say anything," he said shamefully. She cocked an eyebrow at him. "But I also said that if you asked, I wouldn't lie."

Haley smiled at her husband. She knew he couldn't lie to her, and he knew that if he did, he'd wish he hadn't. "So what's going on?" she asked calmly, folding her arms across her chest.

"They thought they might be," he started, and her eyes widened again. "They aren't, but they're going to start trying when he comes back from his tour."

"Nathan!" She shouted, flying into his arms, making him laugh at her enthusiasm. "That's amazing!"

"I know it is," he agreed. "But I said I wouldn't say anything, so you can't let on you know anything, not that there's really anything to know."

"OK," she said, pulling away from him, but her smile not fading.

"I am serious, Haley James, not a word to either of them. I think I already got him in trouble because Peyton found out I know."

"My lips are sealed!" she insisted.

She turned back to the meal she was preparing and he stood there looking at her for a few minutes, neither of them saying a word. She was everything to him - her and their son. She'd changed his life in a way he was so thankful for. She had given him everything he had: love, family, their son, a sense of home. She accepted him for what he was, and he wanted to be the best version of himself and do right by her. She was his wife, and he would never get sick of calling her that.

"You ever think about having another one?" he finally asked.

"Sometimes," she said. She turned back to him and smiled. "I know we will."

"I know. But when?" he asked.

It was always a given that they'd have another child, but they hadn't talked about it. They had school, then Nathan's accident, then her working; there were just always things that came up. Life happened, and they'd never discussed it.

"If I didn't know any better, Nathan, I'd say you were asking me if I wanted to have another one right now."

"What if I am?" he asked slyly.

"You just want another boy so you can teach them to battle each other on the court," she teased.

"No," he countered with a smirk. He walked towards her and placed his hands on her hips. "A little girl. Just like her mother."

"You remember that?" she asked with a quiet smile on her lips.

"Of course I do," he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead as she looked up at him.

"Are you serious about this?" she asked.

"Yeah," he admitted. "I mean, Jamie's not a baby any more, we are secure financially, our marriage has never been better, our family is around..."

"Well then let's talk about it," she said with a smile. She kissed him lightly. "Now go sit down and let's have this romantic dinner."

----

Brooke and Skills sat at the secluded table he'd requested for them at the restaurant he'd taken her to. It was cool enough outside that the fireplace in the centre of the room harboured a flame, and it cast warmth and light their way. She'd chosen the wine for the evening, and he smiled when he watched her take the first sip and nod approvingly at the waiter to continue pouring. She was powerful and obviously from a different world than he was, but he never felt like she was trying. He saw her as the girl he'd gone to high school with. The girl who used to tag along with Mouth or Lucas and watch the boys play at the River Court. He saw her as she was before she started her company - the girl she still was beneath the headlines and business meetings.

"You know what's weird?" she said as they shared a dessert.

"What's that?" he asked.

"This isn't weird," she stated with a smile.

"No, it's not," he agreed. "It's just comfortable."

"Exactly." She delicately put another forkful of the rich chocolate in her mouth. "You're a great guy, Antwon."

"Is there a 'but' after that?" he asked innocently enough.

"No!" she insisted, flashing him a dimpled grin. "I was just pointing it out."

"Good," he said with a smile. "Then you would be into taking a walk with me after this?"

"Sure. The night is young," she said coyly.

Maybe she'd turned the right corner this time.


	5. Baby Come and Kiss Me

**A/N:** Last night's episode was made of awesome. Happy Leyton on screen makes me want to post more happy Leyton on here. So...another day, another update!

Brulian? Hotness! Nathan/Chase Karaoke plus dance moves? Nice! "She's a superhero"? I _almost_ cried. "Just playing walkie talkies with my brother"? I _actually_ cried.

**----**

"Lucas," she sang gently, from the kitchen. When she got no response to the sweet tone, she decided shouting was the only way to go. "Luke!"

"Sleeping. Don't bug me," he mumbled when she poked her head through the door to see him laying on his side with the covers pulled up to his chin.

"You have to get up, babe," she said, walking to sit on the edge of their bed. She placed a soft kiss on his temple.

"I don't want to," he muttered defiantly.

"OK, what are you, 5? You have practice in a half hour," she scolded.

"You're a mean woman," he said, pulling the covers back and sitting up to face her.

"No. I just want you to talk to Skills and get all the details from last night," she said with a grin as she trailed her hand up over his shoulder and around the back of his neck.

"Peyton, just talk to Brooke. I don't see why I have to get dragged into everything," he argued, placing his feet on the floor and pulling her up to stand in front of him.

"You are like, extra grumpy this morning!"

He was usually up before her, and she was the grouchy one, but this morning, their roles were apparently reversed.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Guys don't talk about this stuff."

"What?" she asked in disbelief. "Your best friend goes out on a date with your wife's best friend, who also just happens to be your ex-girlfriend, and you two don't talk about it?"

"No, we don't," he said, placing his hands on her hips.

"Luke, that's ridiculous. I don't believe you. He asked you to talk to me about her in the first place!" she pointed out, and he just shook his head. "What do you talk about then?"

"Basketball! Cars, food, the weather, basketball, how many drinks he had at the bar the night before, basketball. Pretty much everything _but_ our relationships," he explained.

"So you and Skills never talk about me," she asked, tilting her head to look at him.

"Sure we do, but not like, the inner workings of our marriage."

"Men are weird," she said, shaking her head and walking away from him.

"OK, wait." He followed her into the kitchen and accepted the mug of coffee she handed him. "So you're annoyed that I don't talk to Skills about us, but you freaked out when I talked to Nathan?"

"Well, you're just contradicting yourself, that's all," she explained with a shrug of her shoulders.

"It's too early for this," he said with a grin, knowing she was right.

She walked towards him and took the mug from his hands and placed it on the table before snaking her arms around him. "So why don't you just talk to him?" She kissed him softly and heard him inhale sharply when she pulled away.

"Ughh...Fine, I'll ask him," he groaned, looking skyward in defeat. She'd just used her best weapon against him, and he knew he'd been had.

"Thank you, baby," she said softly. "Now _go_ _shower_ or you'll be late, Coach Scott."

"You _are_ going to be a good mom," he called on his way to the bathroom.

"What?" she asked with shock in her tone.

"You've got the 'strict mom' thing down pat already," he teased, turning to look at her. He just winked when she glared at him .

----

Lucas walked into the gym to find his players warming up for their morning practice, and Skills standing at the sidelines watching.

"Hey, man," he greeted his friend. The two shook hands and pulled one another into a manly hug.

"What up, Luke?" Skills said. "We must be getting through to these kids 'cause they were already working when I got here."

"Good. They need it," Lucas pointed out.

They stood for a few minutes watching the team before Lucas asked what his wife had begged him to.

"So how'd it go with Brooke?"

"I was wondering when you were gonna ask," he said with a laugh. "You know, nice dinner, walk along the pier. The usual."

"Very nice," Lucas said, nodding. "But listen, if I go home with that Peyton's gonna yell at me."

"Getting the inside scoop for the wifey, huh?" Skills laughed, as Lucas smiled weakly. "Brooke's great. She looked beautiful. And we had a great time. I really like her."

"That's awesome, man," Lucas said, slapping his friend on the back.

"So you need me to write a signed, detailed account of the evening for your wife, or...."

"Shut up and let's get to work, OK?" Lucas said, laughing, then he blew his whistle just as Nathan strolled into the gym to get a start on their day.

----

Peyton walked nonchalantly into Brooke's store, though she knew she should be at her own office. The brunette saw her when she looked up from her paper work, and rolled her eyes, knowing that her friend was only there to hear the details from the night before.

"OK, Peyton, I love you. But really? I haven't even had a coffee yet and you're already on my doorstep!" she said in mock annoyance.

"Come on Brooke, I'm dying here!" Peyton pleaded, clasping her hands and giving her best puppy dog eyes.

"Fine. I'll tell you if you tell me," Brooke said with a kinked brow.

"Tell you what?" Peyton asked, confused as to what her friend was referring to.

"What did I walk in on last night!?" Brooke asked excitedly, waiting for the latest gossip.

"Oh God. Nothing. Just...I kind of yelled at Luke and we had an argument..." The blonde's voice trailed.

"And then made up and I walked in just in time to - thank God - have missed it," Brooke finished, joining Peyton on the sofa in the centre of her store.

"Something like that." Peyton could feel the blush creeping to her cheeks. "Now spill!"

"Ugh! Fine. We went to dinner, he was incredibly sweet, we went for a walk, kiss goodnight. You know, the usual," Brooke said casually, shrugging her shoulder.

"You kissed him?" Peyton squealed.

"It was a date, wasn't it?" Brooke asked, furrowing her brow.

"OK, you know you don't _have_ to kiss. It's not, like, a requirement," Peyton said with a laugh.

"Please! I wanted to. It was one of the best dates I've been on. We're going out again soon," Brooke explained quietly.

"That's great, Brooke," the blonde said sincerely. "I'm glad."

"Thanks," Brooke said. "So now tell me what you and Luke were fighting about."

Peyton tried to think quickly about the easiest thing she could say. She didn't want to lie to her best friend, but she didn't want to tell her everything either. The news that they were going to try for a baby was something she wanted to keep quiet until they really had news to share.

"Just...he said something to Nathan that I asked him not to, and I got a little angry," Peyton said vaguely, looking down to her hands.

"Well, Peyton, you talk to me about Luke all the time," Brooke said, clearly trying to play devil's advocate.

"Yes, but if he ever asks me not to say anything, I don't say anything. It wasn't that he talked to Nathan, it was that he talked to Nathan after I told him not to," Peyton explained.

"OK," Brooke said simply, standing and going back to her paperwork.

"OK? That's it?" Peyton asked, following Brooke and standing across from her at the counter. "I know you're dying to say something."

"It's just..." Brooke started. "You have me and Haley, and you can't really blame him for just talking to someone."

"I know," Peyton said quietly.

The two stood in silence for a few moments, before Brooke spoke again.

"Wait. I've _seen_ angry Peyton, and angry Peyton _cannot_ be reasoned with. How did he get you in the bedroom so quickly after a fight?" Brooke asked, intrigue and amazement in her voice.

"Brooke!" Peyton shouted. The brunette just shrugged her shoulders, causing the blonde to roll her eyes. "We were, like, mid-argument and he turned on the old 'Lucas Scott Charm'." Brooke started to snicker at that admission. "He was all 'you look sexy when you're yelling' or something. It was stupid."

"Stupid, maybe," Brooke said, raising her eyebrows. "But it worked."

"Dammit!" Peyton yelled. "He totally played me, didn't he?" Both women smiled at the realization.

"Yeah. He kinda did," Brooke said with a laugh.

----

Peyton got home that night to find her husband in the kitchen making dinner. There were splashes of spaghetti sauce covering the stove, and the place was a mess, but the table was set with candles and fresh lilies in the centre. As soon as he noticed her, he handed her a glass of wine.

"Hey," he said with a smile, kissing her quickly on the lips.

"Luke, what are you doing?" She was smiling ear to ear as she raised the glass to her mouth.

"Making you dinner," he replied simply, wiping his hands on the dish towel he had slung over his shoulder.

"I can see that," she laughed.

"Oh, and Skills likes Brooke and said they had a great time," he said, turning back to look at her, proud that he'd done what she had asked.

"Yeah, she said the same thing," she said hurriedly. "Listen, I want to ask you something."

"Sure, what's up?" he asked, opening the oven to pull out a loaf of garlic bread.

She considered asking him if it was his plan all along to seduce her while they were fighting, but something in her told her not to. She wasn't sure if it was that she liked the attention, or she wanted him to think he was winning, but she felt she needed to let on she didn't know. And he looked so cute running around the kitchen that she didn't have the heart to start another argument over something so silly.

"Why exactly are you making this wonderful dinner for me?" she asked, walking towards him.

"Can't a guy just do something nice for his wife?" he asked, smirking before kissing her forehead. "Sit. It's almost ready."

"Lucas..." she said with an eyebrow raised.

She knew there was something more going on. Not that it was rare for him to cook for her, but never were there candles and flowers, unless it was a special occasion. Still, she did as she was told and took her usual seat at their kitchen table.

"I talked to Lindsey today," he began, as he set her plate in front of her, and sat down with his. "The book tour's being moved up because they want to hit a few more cities. They had to change the whole schedule."

"Moved up? To when?" she asked, as yet unsure of what to think.

"I have to leave on Friday," he said, pursing his lips as he waited for her reaction.

"Friday? That's three days from now!" she observed.

"I know. The reps from the publishing house coming here for a launch party on Thursday night, then we're taking off Friday morning." He reached for her hand over the table and she immediately wove her fingers through his.

"This is all fast. I thought we had three weeks," she said quietly. "So you're going to be gone for a month as of Friday."

"I'm sorry," he said, looking into her eyes and shaking his head.

"No, it's OK. Lucas, this is your job," she rationalized. "It's fine"

"You trying to convince me, or yourself?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Both," she laughed. "I understand, though. It's your work. I just thought we had more time."

"You're amazing, you know that?" he said with a smile. Here he had dropped this huge bomb on her and it took her less than two minutes to understand and accept the change. She was upset, he could tell, but she got it. She knew he had to do it, and she wasn't going to argue with him.

"You might have told me once or twice," she said, leaning forward to kiss him.

He focused his attention on his dinner, leaving her to close her eyes and begin to mentally prepare herself for a month without him.

"Hey, you get to meet Lindsey, though. You'll love her. She's great," he said happily.

"Yeah, great. How come she didn't edit your other books?" Peyton asked, pulling herself from her thoughts.

"She's new. She's way better than Ed was," he said.

"Great," she muttered absently.

All evening, she tried to focus on the things he was saying, but all she could focus on was being alone for the next four weeks. When she was younger, she craved her time alone, but now she was so used to having him around that she was worried she wouldn't know how to do it anymore. She sat and attempted to do some work while he called their friends to tell them about the launch party. She went to bed that night and curled into him closer than usual.

One month. It was only one month.

----

Thursday evening came faster than she'd wanted it to, and she realized that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't slow time down. He'd gotten ready in a matter of minutes, and she was taking slightly longer to get ready. OK, much more than slightly. He'd been waiting for her for 45 minutes as she did whatever it is women do that makes them take so damn long.

"Peyton, we've gotta go if we want to be on time," he called through their closed bedroom door. He hadn't wanted to rush her, he knew she hated that, but he'd told her ten minutes earlier that they needed to go, and there were still no signs that she was coming out any time soon.

"One minute," she replied, making him laugh at her standard response.

She looked at herself in the mirror one last time. She was in a fitted black satin strapless dress, with her curls down and falling over her shoulders. The dress was cut just above the knee and she wore a pair of black stilettos. The entire ensemble, of course, had been approved by Brooke ahead of time.

Just as he was walking away from the door, he heard it open behind him and turned around to see her.

"Wow...you look...wow," he stammered. He walked towards her and kissed her quickly, pulling away to look her up and down - something he was sure he'd be doing a lot of throughout the evening.

"Good enough for you to stay?" she asked, only half-joking.

"Peyton..."

"I know. I'm just...this is your last night before leaving and it kind of sucks that we have to spend it with a bunch of people," she lamented.

"We'll be back here by midnight at the latest," he reassured her.

"OK," she said, walking towards the front door. And he checked her out again because he could, and he couldn't stop himself, and he was sure that she had walked in front of him for that reason alone.

"I don't want you to pout all night either," he teased.

"I am not pouting!" she shouted back, mouth agape, watching as he opened the door for her and looked at her with a raised brow.

"Peyton, you've been pouting for three days," he said, pulling the door closed behind them.

"Lucas." She rested her hand on his arm and stopped him from walking down the steps. "This isn't easy for me, OK? I...I don't think you realize how much I'm going to miss you, that's all."

"You don't think I'm going to miss you just as much?" he asked. He was a little bit hurt that she didn't realize this was hard for him too.

"You're going to be working and traveling to different cities every day. I'm going to be here, in our house, with reminders of you all over the place," she explained, squaring her shoulders to him and smiling sadly.

"And _I'm_ worried because I _won't_ have any of those things," he said quietly, taking her hands in his.

She kissed him gently and nodded before walking down the steps to their car. Neither said a word the entire drive; they just let the sounds of the music he had on fill the air, both mentally making note that now they had yet another song that they'd both remember forever, tied to each other and to a moment. They were each thinking about being away from the other for the next four weeks, smiling weakly at each other when they pulled into a parking space.

They walked hand in hand into the lounge where the launch party was being held, to find that Nathan, Haley, Brooke and Skills were already there. They all said their hellos and were chatting when Lucas excused himself to talk to some of the people from his publishing company.

"So, Sawyer, how you holding up?" Nathan asked.

"I am in a pretty dress standing with my best friends. I have a glass of champagne in my hand, and I'm celebrating the release of my husband's third novel. I'm great," she said with a smile that she knew her friends would realize was fake.

Brooke simply tilted her head at her best friend. None of them gave any motivational or reassuring words. They didn't know what to say, and they were afraid that if they said anything, whether it was the right thing or the wrong thing, she'd fall apart in front of them.

Just then, Lucas walked up with a tall, long-haired brunette in a sleek navy blue dress. Brooke cocked an eyebrow at Peyton, who just laughed and turned her attention back to her husband.

"Hey guys, I want you to meet my editor. This is Lindsey," he started. "This is my wife, Peyton." He took her hand in his, and she held on tight.

"Peyton! I've heard so much about you. More than what he's written, I mean," she said with a laugh and a bright smile. "It's so nice to finally meet you."

Peyton smiled shook the woman's outstretched hand. "It's great to meet you, too."

"This is my brother Nathan, and his wife and my best friend, Haley. This is Brooke and Antwon," Lucas continued, going around their group. They all exchanged pleasantries and soon Lindsey was laughing at a few harmless stories about the man who's book she'd just edited.

"Lucas, can I talk to you for a sec?" Peyton asked, placing her hand on his shoulder. He nodded and took her hand, letting her pull him away from the crowd.

He was just about to ask her if everything was OK when she spoke.

"You did not tell me Lindsey looked like _that_!" she said in a harsh whisper.

"Peyton, what she looks like doesn't matter," he laughed.

"To me, it does!" she said with wide eyes, in disbelief that he didn't understand what she was saying. She'd been led to believe that Lindsey was a 40-something intellectual bookworm with glasses and a stern demeanor. Or at least that was the image she'd built up in her head.

"Are you seriously worried about this?" He shook his head and narrowed his eyes at her.

"I'm just saying, she's gorgeous and smart and into books and stuff. And you're going to be traveling around the country with her for a month." She was rambling and she knew it. She also knew that he was aware that she only rambled when she was insecure.

"Are you _jealous_?" he asked with a grin.

"I'm not jealous, Lucas," she said indignantly.

"You are _so_ jealous!" he teased, pointing a finger at her. Apparently, that tone and playful attitude wasn't going to help him.

"Luke," she protested.

"Peyt," he said, placing his hands on her arms and forcing her to look into his eyes. "I want you. I married you. I am committed to you. This is just business."

She sighed and rolled her eyes because he was right. And she trusted him, of course she did. She was aware that her insecurities stemmed only from knowing that he wouldn't be next to her for the next month. So she looked him in the eye and nodded, letting him know that she understood what he was saying.

"Why does she have to be so pretty?" Peyton mumbled.

"Don't pout," he said, throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"I'm not pouting!" she claimed.

"You are pouting."

"I'm just going to miss you, and I'll be here alone, and you'll be off with gorgeous Miss Smartiepants." She gestured towards Lindsey with her arm, as the editor talked with Haley and Nathan.

"Are you listening to yourself?" he asked, turning to face her again.

"Are _you_ listening to me?" she inquired with a raised eyebrow.

"I love you. And I'm going to miss you like crazy. So much more than you probably can even imagine," he reassured his wife.

"Tell her that if she tries anything, I _will_ kick her ass," Peyton said, her tone serious, and the look on her face proved she was not to be taken lightly.

"I'll tell her." He laughed slightly as he kissed her softly on the lips.

He had to admit, seeing his wife green with jealousy made him love her even more. All of a sudden, he wished he was home alone with her. It dawned on him that this was the last night he'd see her for a month. He had known it was true, but it just hit him like a ton of bricks. He watched her rejoin their group of friends and laugh at something Skills said, and he missed her. She was standing right in front of him and he _missed_ her. He stood and stared at her for a few minutes until his brother's voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"She's gonna be fine, man."

"What? I know," Lucas said, looking to his brother. "Just...a month is a long time."

"It'll go by fast. We'll take care of her," Nathan assured, with a pat to his brother's back.

"I know," Lucas said with a nod. "Can you imagine being away from Hales and Jamie for a month?"

"Hell no," Nathan laughed. "But you're tougher than I am."

"I doubt that," Lucas said with a smile as they walked back to the group.

He checked his watch. They'd only been there for an hour and a half. He sighed and kissed the top of Peyton's head as he stood beside her. Watching her now, it was as if she was moving in slow motion - laughing, talking, grinning at him when she noticed he was looking. She was making it harder and harder for him to accept that he had to go.

----

They stayed until 11:30, after all the hands were shaken and speeches were given. It was a side to his work that Peyton hadn't gotten to see before. She saw him with his eyes on the screen, or on the phone with his editor, or getting up at 2 a.m. with an idea he just had to get onto the page. But she'd never seen the side where all that work comes together and is celebrated. She was proud of him, and though she'd said those words to him countless times before, she told him so on the way back to their house. He just smiled at her and kissed her hand.

As soon as they got inside the door, she kicked off her shoes and dropped the clutch purse she'd been hanging on to all night. He loosened his tie and watched as she took off her earrings and necklace.

"Thank you, Peyton," he said from where he stood across the room from her.

"For what?" she asked with a furrowed brow.

"Tonight. And being so great about everything." He walked towards her and pulled her into a hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she said softly. "Can you unzip me?"

"Gladly," he said with a smirk, and pulled out of the hug to kiss her. His hand found the zipper at her back as his tongue passed over her bottom lip. She let out a soft moan at both the sensation of his kiss, and the cold air hitting her exposed skin.

"I hate this," she said after they broke the kiss and her dress had dropped to the floor.

He looked at her in complete shock. "Excuse me?"

"No! No, not that." She laughed slightly at the misunderstanding. "Goodbyes."

"Peyton," he said, placing his hands on her hips. "I'm coming back." He kissed her gently and watched as she closed her eyes to stop the tear he'd seen pooling.

"You better." She kissed him again and it felt like desperation. It felt like she wanted it to. Filled with love and anguish and need.

They stumbled to the bed and made love. He'd whispered sweet things and promises in her ear and they held each other until he fell asleep. She lay awake for a while just feeling him next to her and thinking of all the things she was going to do to keep herself busy until he returned.

She woke in the morning with his arms still wrapped around her, and looked up to find him smiling down at her. She curled back into his side and closed her eyes, knowing that no matter how close she got, he was still going to leave.

"The car's going to be here in an hour," he said softly. He ran his hand up and down her arm.

"OK," she said. She didn't move, though she knew he had just implied that he had to get up.

"Peyton, don't be sad," he said, pulling away from her and turning to face her.

"Wouldn't it be worse if I was happy?" she joked, making him roll his eyes. "I'm fine, Luke. I just love you, that's all."

"That's all?" he asked. "That's everything." He kissed her again before standing. "I have to shower."

"OK. I'll make you breakfast." She smiled when he laughed. Usually she'd make the promise and he'd return from the shower to find her sleeping again. This morning, however, she wanted to sit with him at their kitchen table and sip coffee until the last possible second, just feeling that _normal_ feeling she always got with him when they settled into their daily routine.

She got up and wrapped herself in her robe while she heard him turn on the water. For a moment, she thought about joining him, but seeing his bags packed by the front door reminded her that they were on borrowed time. She padded to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee before toasting a couple bagels and cutting some fruit.

He walked out of the bathroom with just a towel wrapped around his waist, and she turned when she heard him coming down the hall.

"Oh, sure. Look extra sexy just before you leave," she said, leaning against the counter behind her and crossing her arms in front of her. He just shook his head at her before going to the bedroom to slip on a pair of boxers, then sitting down at the table. He took a sip of the coffee she'd set out for him, and she joined him and they talked until he had to get dressed to leave. She waited in her robe nursing her second cup of coffee until he emerged from the bedroom clad in jeans and a button down shirt. She smiled at him weakly from her place.

"Get over here," he demanded with a grin.

She stood and walked to where he was standing, wrapping her arms around him and melting into the embrace she'd gotten so used to feeling every day.

"This is hard, huh?" he asked, already knowing the answer. She nodded and placed a kiss on his neck, wherever her lips fell. "I don't know what to say, Peyt."

"Say you love me, and you'll see me in a month. And say you'll sell lots of copies of your book and make us loads of money," she said with a smile, pulling away from him and playing idly with the collar of his shirt as she looked into his eyes.

"I love you," he insisted, though they both knew he didn't have to. He kissed her gently just as the horn sounded from outside, letting them know that his ride had arrived.

"I love you, too," she echoed. "Call me."

He slung his bags over his shoulder and kissed her forehead. "Just think of what we get to do when I get back," he said in a low voice, leaning in to speak into her ear, making her chuckle. Then he walked out the door and she was left alone in their home.

This was going to be a long month.


	6. She's a Picture in my Wallet

The first week was the hardest. His tour started on the west coast, and with the time change and the crazy hours they were both working, it was tough to catch each other on the phone. But they managed. She'd survived a week without him, and it hadn't been as bad as she'd imagined. She missed him, of course, but she remembered how to be by herself quickly.

He tried to email her every day, and she'd always smile when she saw his name pop up in her inbox, clicking the message open immediately. The fifth day, she could tell he was starting to miss her more and more.

_Hey Wife,_

_Seattle is really rainy. You'd probably like it, though. It kind of feels like you, if that makes sense. People love you here. 'Badass Peyton Sawyer from _Ravens_', they call you. I kind of love that I get to be reminded of you by total strangers. It makes me feel more connected to you somehow._

_I finally got a good night's sleep. Hotel beds are alright, but they're not as much fun without you. (Yes, that's an innuendo. And yes, I realize it's way less sexy when I have to explain that it is one...) So want to know how I got to sleep? I'll tell you. I had to ask for extra pillows and put them on 'your side' of the bed. You're laughing, right? I know. I miss your laugh. I kind of miss everything about you. You know we haven't even been apart for more than 3 nights since before we got engaged? _

_I'm being summoned to sign more books. I'll call later if I can. _

_I love you.  
-L_

She smiled, of course, because she missed him so much that it almost hurt. But she'd always loved his words. Written, spoken, novels, little notes...She clicked 'reply' and wrote a quick email after checking the time, noticing that she wasn't going to be alone in her office much longer.

_Hi,_

_So you send me this sweet email, but you can't even manage to type your whole name at the end? It hurts, baby...it hurts. _

_As much as I'd love to make fun of you for the pillow thing, I really can't. I've been doing the same thing. Laughing? You probably are. (Or maybe you're just smirking in that way you know I love...) I actually thought of calling Nathan over to cuddle with me until I fell asleep, but I think this town has had enough scandal caused by the Scotts. I love that I can make Scott jokes now! You know, since I _am_ one._

_Mia and Haley are coming in today, so I'm sure hilarity will ensue. Mia's been less than inspired, and Haley has been trying to get her to 'live a little'...I'm a bit scared about what that'll entail. I'll tell you all about it later..._

_Love you,  
Peyton Elizabeth Scott_

_PS: See? Typed my whole name for you. Maybe I love you more than you love me...? _

Just as Mia and Haley stepped into her office, she received another email from him. Wondering what he'd forgotten to say, or what he had to say in reply to hers, she clicked it open hastily.

_Not possible.  
-Lucas E. Scott_

----

Skills was sitting in the empty gym at the high school, elbows resting on his knees as he replayed his practice in his head from earlier that day. He was really starting to get worried again, as he always did when Lucas was away, that he'd take some wrong turns and the team would be in shambles when their real head coach returned. He was following their practice regime to a 'T', but he was still nervous.

He was so lost in thought, that he wouldn't have noticed Brooke enter the gym if she hadn't been wearing heels. And he'd always loved a woman in heels.

"Hey," she said with a smile, taking a seat next to him. "I saw your car."

"Yeah. Just thinking. Other than the River Court, this is the best place to clear my head," he explained. She could sense there was something more going on than he was saying.

"What's wrong?" she asked, slipping her arm through his, and making him smile just a little bit.

"I'm just worried about Luke being away," he admitted. Something about her put him at ease and he didn't feel out of place telling her his concerns. He just felt like she'd understand. "You know, that I'll mess things up."

"That's crazy!" she insisted.

"Last time he went on a book tour, we lost three games in a row," he pointed out, turning to look at her.

"But didn't you lose three straight games after that, too?" she asked. Normally, he would have looked at her in shock, but there was something really sexy about her remembering that detail.

"But that was all on Luke, not all on me," he said with a grin.

"Well, I thought this was a team game, _Coach Taylor_," she teased, bumping his shoulder with hers, and making him laugh.

"Maybe you're right," he conceded.

"Antwon, it's not like they're going to forget how to play the game just because Lucas is away. All you can do is run the plays and tell them that you expect the best, just like he would," she said reassuringly, intertwining her fingers with his.

"When did you learn so much about basketball, baby?" he asked with a laugh.

"I _was_ a cheerleader for four years of Ravens basketball. Game day study hall with Whitey wasn't lost on me," she said proudly. "_I _could probably coach this team."

"Oh really," he said, standing and grabbing the ball that had been sitting between his feet. "Let's see what you got, then, B. Davis."

She stood and snatched the ball from him, kicked off her heels, and sprinted towards the net, cheering for herself when she made an easy lay up.

And he would have laughed at her if he hadn't found her so damn sexy as she tried to block his jump shots or dribble around him. He was starting to wonder how in the hell he ended up with the hottest girl in town.

The Ravens went on to win their game that Friday night, with Brooke, sitting between Peyton and Haley, smiling at Skills from the sidelines, and hugging him in congratulations after the win. That would be the night they'd agree to be 'exclusive'.

----

The following week was easier. Peyton had dinner with Haley and Brooke, then Brooke and Skills, then Nathan, Haley and Jamie. She'd barely gotten a moment alone, but it kept her out of the empty house. She met Haley for coffee that Saturday afternoon and the two took a walk along the pier.

"So you've been putting on a brave face," Haley observed.

"You know, it hasn't been as bad as I thought," Peyton said with a smile. She threw her arm around her friend's shoulder. "I have you guys, and work. I've been busy!"

"Good!" Haley said, wrapping her arm around the blonde's waist.

"He says 'hi' by the way. He called this morning from St. Louis."

"Yeah, he emailed me the other day. He said the response has been amazing. I'm so proud of him," Haley admitted smiling.

"I know. He's doing so great. Living his dream." Peyton smiled at the thought. Even though it was hard to be without him, she was still happy he was following his passion and taking this journey. He deserved it.

"Yeah, then when he gets back, it'll be a whole other dream, right?" Haley said. She immediately knew she shouldn't have. She'd done so well not saying anything and all of a sudden she'd blown it.

"What?" Peyton asked with a confused look. She'd stopped walking and now the two women were facing each other.

"I'm so sorry. Nathan told me you and Luke want to have a baby," Haley explained with a barely contained smile.

"How long have you known?" Peyton asked with a slight laugh. She knew Haley was the 'mother' of the group and everybody's confidante. She also knew that Haley loved a secret.

"Pretty much since Nathan's known," Haley said, then she let out a squeal, making them both laugh even harder, before grabbing Peyton into a hug. "This is amazing."

"Thanks, Haley."

"Are you mad? I mean, that Nathan told me?" she asked skeptically.

"No! I'm actually surprised you kept it in for so long!" Peyton exclaimed as they started waking again.

"Can I tell you a secret of my own?" Haley said scrunching her nose to signify that she too had good news.

"Of course you can," Peyton answered.

"Nathan and I are going to start trying for another one, too," Haley said, unable to hide her happiness.

"What?! Haley!" It was Peyton's turn to pull her friend into a tight hug.

They walked the rest of the way in relative silence. Each of them were thinking about the changes that were going to come for both couples, and they both knew that nothing would be the same again. But in a very, very good way.

Lucas' email that day was short, but incredibly sweet, and just the perfect amount of sexy.

_Peyt,_

_I heard a song today in a coffee shop that I know you'd love. The song, not the coffee shop. Well, maybe the coffee shop too. No real point to that, except it made me think of you. Not that I need songs or coffee shops to do that. I'm rambling. I just miss you and love you and I can't wait to come home to you._

_I had a dream about you last night. It was...wow. If I tell you about it now, I'll need to take a(nother) cold shower before I go to dinner. Let's just say I have something for us to reenact when I get home..._

_Love,  
Lucas_

She sat in the living room with a cup of tea and some quiet music playing, and filled him in on her day.

_Luke,_

_I'm sure I'd love the song and the coffee shop. I can't wait for you to come home either. Don't worry, all my other boyfriends know to get lost before the 13th. Joke! Don't get all broody! _

_So, I had a talk with Haley today. Turns out Nathan told her about our 'plans'. She squealed like a little girl...It was actually kind of funny. And no, I'm not mad at you or Nathan for telling. It was actually kind of nice to know that someone else knows about it (take that smug look off your face...I know it's there). I'm having Sunday diner at their place tomorrow, but it's not the same without you...How many days left? Too many. _

_Dreaming about me, huh? You think people will understand if I lock you up in our bedroom for a few days after you get home? Not a joke...Plan accordingly. _

_Wish you were here. _

_Love you,  
Peyton_

----

Week three. Tiring, exhausting, and onerous. She spent most of her time at home, cleaning, cooking, organizing, sleeping, reading. By Friday, she was ready for him to be home. She wanted to rest her head on his shoulder while he idly ran his hand over her hair as they sat on the couch. She missed him, but she knew his trip was half done.

He was in the southwest that week. Texas held a few stops and he'd called home to his wife and his best friend every chance he could. He was waiting for Lindsey to join him for dinner in the hotel bar and he'd just hung up with Peyton.

"Hey, Luke," she greeted him, pulling out the chair across from him. "Sorry I'm late. I was on the phone with New York."

"No problem. I'm just going to eat and head back up to my room anyway," he said politely.

He and Lindsey had gotten closer, but as with most relationships, if you spend all day every day with the same person you start to learn where to steal your time alone. He'd learned that if he had dinner with her, he could retreat to his room immediately afterward and put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door for the evening. And if they had lunch together, he could go to dinner on his own and spend the evening exploring whatever city they were in.

She was a nice enough girl, but there was an air of desperation about her that he didn't understand. She was trying so hard - too hard - at everything. He understood that she just wanted the tour to be a success, but her organizational habits were becoming obsessive. She'd also shared a lot of details about her life that he probably did not need to hear. Yes, the nature of this trip had pushed them closer together than their previous relationship had been, but he still felt like he could have done without hearing her entire romantic history, in detail, over the past couple weeks.

They talked over dinner about the day's signing: the turnout, the crowd, the strange comments, the passages people had quoted. They paid the bill and headed back upstairs to their rooms. Always the gentleman, Lucas dropped Lindsey off at her door.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow morning," he said nonchalantly as she fumbled for her key.

She turned to him and smiled and before he could reciprocate, her lips were on his and her hands were on his face. He grabbed her by the arms and pushed her away almost instantly.

"Lindsey!" he said angrily, putting distance between them. "What the hell?"

"Come on, Lucas," she pleaded, unfazed. "You want this, too."

"What? No! I want my wife. Peyton. Who you've read about in my novels, and who I've talked about non stop since we got on the plane to leave Tree Hill! You met her, remember? Gorgeous blonde? Legs for days? Woman I couldn't take my eyes off?"

"I can tell you feel it between us," she said. Her attempt at seducing him had the exact opposite affect. He felt like he was going to be sick.

"There is nothing between us except business, Lindsey," he insisted. "And I don't think that's going to last much longer."

"Luke, I think I love you. And I think you love me too," she said with a grin.

"No, I don't. I _really_ don't. I don't think I even like you. See this?" he asked, holding up his left hand. "This is a wedding band. I am committed to my wife and you are delusional if you think that'll ever change."

He walked away and reached for his phone in his pocket. There was no chance in hell that he was going to spend any more time with this woman. He called the publishing company's president at home and told him that he couldn't work with Lindsey any more, and what had happened.

The next morning, there was a new rep from the company and Lindsey was nowhere to be found, but Lucas still felt guilty, even though he had no control over what had happened. He knew he had to tell Peyton, but wouldn't do it over the phone. Her email that day also told him that she couldn't handle the news at that moment.

_Luke,_

_Rough day. Everything went wrong that could go wrong. I hate that you're away. There. I said it. I know you already knew that, but I never actually said it. Only one more week, right? _

_xxoo,  
Peyton_

He took a deep breath, hating that he wasn't there to hold her or rub her shoulders when she was so stressed, and keyed in a reply from his iPhone as he made his way to the signing table. He knew she'd know he was busy, as she'd made him leave a copy of his itinerary on the refrigerator door.

_P,  
I love you. Everything will work out. One more week and you're all mine...  
-L_

One more week.

----

There were only two days before Lucas got back, and Peyton was faced with something she really didn't want to have to do on her own.

She missed him more than she thought she would. Just when she had gotten used to him being away, that all flew out the window. She realized that she didn't want to be used to him being away. She'd spent the entire evening prior crying alone in their bed, and cursing herself for that. She didn't tell him, though. She didn't want him to feel guilty about doing what he had to do. She still, however, felt that two days were far too many days to be without him now.

"Haley," Peyton said hurriedly into the phone. "Can you come over?"

"Umm...Yeah. What's wrong? You sound...weird."

"I uh...I'll tell you when you get here," Peyton said, calming slightly with the knowledge that her friend would be there soon.

"OK. I'll just tell Nathan and I'll be over in a bit," Haley said, before hanging up the phone. She shook her head for a moment, as if trying to get rid of the sense of worry that she so intensely felt.

"Nathan," she called, walking into the living room to find him colouring with Jamie. She smirked for a moment at the sight of a grown man reaching for the blue crayon he needed to complete his drawing. "I've got to run out and see Peyton."

"Everything alright?" he asked, shifting his attention to her.

"I'm not really sure. But I'll see you tonight, OK, Van Goh?" she laughed. He rolled his eyes at her and she shook her head on the way out the door.

The entire drive to Peyton and Lucas' house, Haley tried to pinpoint what would make her friend sound the way she'd sounded on the phone. She'd never heard that tone before from Peyton, and it was unsettling to say the least. Lucas was returning home soon, and so she wondered what was so urgent that Peyton couldn't wait for him. She was terrified as she walked into the house and found her friend sitting on the couch with only music keeping her company.

"Hey," Haley said quietly, sitting next to Peyton.

"Hi," Peyton responded with a weak smile.

"OK, what's going on?" Haley was getting impatient with being kept in the dark. She loved to be the one people came to with their problems, but once she knew there was something to be let in on, she liked the news to come fast.

"I have to do something and I needed you here so I can do it," Peyton explained cryptically. When Haley narrowed her eyes and looked at her in confusion, she continued. "There's a pregnancy test in the bathroom and I just...I need you to keep me calm for the three minutes of waiting time."

"Peyton!" Haley shouted. "Why are you so scared? Luke's going to be home in a couple days. Why don't you wait and you can do this together!?"

"Haley, when you thought you were pregnant with James, did you waste any time finding out?" Peyton asked, already knowing the answer.

Haley sighed and nodded. She knew the feeling; the need to know one way or the other. "OK. Let's go pee on a stick!"

All Peyton could do was laugh. Leave it to Haley to make light of the situation and calm her nerves, even if just for a few moments.

Haley waited outside the washroom while Peyton did what she had to do. She slid her back down the wall to sit on the floor, and thought about how this moment felt for her sister-in-law. She remembered the moment she found out, and how terrifying it was. Then she remembered how happy the news made her and how much she loved her son and her husband. She was wiping a tear from her eye when Peyton opened the door and walked out with an egg timer in her hand.

"Haley," Peyton said softly, sitting cross-legged on the floor across from her friend.

"I'm sorry! I'm supposed to be helping you, not the other way around," she said with a chuckle, wiping the last of the salty droplets from her cheeks. "I was just remembering when I went through this."

Peyton just fixed her gaze on the floor and traced a knot in the hardwood in front of her with her index finger.

"Hey," Haley said, grabbing her attention. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking this is the longest three minutes in history," Peyton said with a chuckle. "You know those moments in your life where you know everything is going to change? Like when my mom died."

"When my parents agreed to let Nathan and I get married," Haley added.

"The school shooting."

"Leaving for the tour."

"When Lucas asked me to marry him."

"Finding out I was pregnant," Haley laughed.

"Yeah. This is definitely one of those moments," Peyton said, exhaling loudly.

"Everything's going to be OK," Haley said, reaching for her friend's hand just as the timer went off. "You ready?"

"Yes," Peyton answered with a smile.

The two made their way, hand in hand, into the washroom where Peyton took another deep breath and picked up the test that had been resting on the counter. She felt her eyes tearing, and Haley's hand flew to her mouth as she took in a sharp breath. She looked at Peyton's face in the mirror and saw her close her eyes and smile.

"Peyton," Haley said softly. They turned to face each other and hugged tightly as the tears fell from Peyton's eyes. "Congratulations," the brunette managed to choke out.

They stood like that for a few minutes, just embracing and silently crying before Peyton pulled away and wiped her face.

"Oh God," she said, her face changing to one of worry. "How am I going to tell Luke?"

Peyton strode past Haley and made her way to the living room, where she plunked herself down on the couch and pulled a pillow to cover her midsection. Haley followed and sat next to her friend, smiling the entire time.

"He's going to be so thrilled that it won't matter how you tell him," Haley pointed out calmly.

"How did you tell Nathan?" Peyton asked.

"Oh...well...I kind of just blurted it out. He told me he got into Duke, and I said I was pregnant," Haley said with a laugh.

"Wow. Good timing," Peyton laughed.

"Yeah, maybe not the best way to go."

"Maybe it is, though," Peyton said seriously. "Kind of like ripping off a Band-Aid."

"Well, judging by Nathan's reaction, I don't really think so," Haley chuckled.

"I guess we're going to have to tell Nathan soon, right?" Peyton asked. Haley looked at her quizzically. "I'm sure he knew something was up when I called. I just never thought I'd tell Nathan before Lucas," she laughed.

"I told Lucas before I told Nathan," Haley admitted, shrugging her shoulders.

"Really?" Peyton asked.

"Yeah. I was terrified and Lucas is my best friend."

Peyton sat for a moment. It all seemed surreal. After all her and Lucas had been through, this was what they'd always dreamed about. A family of their own. She knew that no matter how she broke the news, he'd be ecstatic, but she still could barely believe the news herself. She ran her hand over her stomach beneath the pillow.

"Haley," she said, grabbing her friend's attention so their eyes met. "I'm going to have a baby."

Haley smiled widely and nodded and the tears returned to both their eyes as she pulled Peyton into another hug.

This was definitely a life-changing moment.

**----**

**A/N:** Don't hate me for the Lindsey stuff! It can't be all happy, all the time...it _is_ Tree Hill after all.


	7. My Unborn Children's Mother

Nathan was at the River Court, playing like his life depended on it, when Peyton drove up. She had to smile. This man had always loved basketball more than he loved himself, which, at least when they were dating, said a lot. He was still passionate about the game that he could always lose himself in, and she was thankful for that. He needed that.

He saw her, but continued playing. She got out of her car and stuffed her hands into the back pockets of her jeans as she walked onto the asphalt.

"Hey, Sawyer," he said breathlessly as he went in for a lay up.

"Hey, superstar," she responded, making him laugh. She walked to the bleachers and handed him his towel so he could wipe the sweat from his face. He sat down next to her and reached for his bottle of Gatorade.

"One more day, huh?" he asked, still trying to catch his breath.

She couldn't contain her smile. God, she missed her husband. She simply couldn't wait to see him again. It had been a long month. She hadn't thought it possible, but she loved him more now than she did when he left.

"One more day," she repeated.

"Look at you!" he teased, bumping her shoulder with his own. "Can't stop smiling. That's what I like to see."

"Whatever. I know you can't wait to call him and play one-on-one," she said with a kinked brow.

"Fair enough," he said with a nod, making them both laugh. "So what's up?"

"Why do you think something's up?" she asked with a grin, turning to face him.

"Whoa!" he said, throwing his hands up defensively. "It's a standard question."

"Actually, I do have a question for you," she said, causing him to turn to face her with narrowed eyes.

"Shoot.

"Would you rather be called Uncle Nathan, or just Nathan?" she asked, unable to keep herself from grinning.

His eyes went wide and a huge toothy smile spread on his face. "Are you serious!?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile, though she could feel the tear pooling in her eye. She'd gone to the doctor that morning and it had been confirmed. "I'm pregnant, Nate."

"This is awesome," he said. He pulled her into a tight hug, neither of them caring that he was drenched in sweat. "Wait, why are you telling me before you tell Luke?"

"Haley told Luke about Jamie before she told you," she said with a shrug. "You're my best bud, Nathan. I wanted to share this with you."

"Well, I'm glad you did," he said with a chuckle, shaking his head. "I can't believe it."

"Why? It's not _that_ crazy," she laughed.

"No, not that," he said. "Just...you know, both Luke and I had always wanted real families. I mean, our moms are both amazing, and Lucas had Keith, but it's not the same. We both just wanted that chance to make our own really great memories, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," she said, rubbing his back with her hand. "Nathan, you're an amazing father."

He turned to look at her, surprised by her words. "Thank you."

"Luke better be as good as you, or we'll have trouble," she joked, making him laugh.

"I don't think you're going to have a problem with that."

"Me neither," she said with a smile as she looked at her lap.

"You're really having a baby." He said it like a statement, not a question, as though he had to say it out loud to make it true. He was going to be an uncle. When he heard her sigh loudly, he turned to her again.

"How am I gonna tell Luke?" she asked again with fear in her eyes.

She still hadn't thought of a way to bring it up, and she was really starting to believe that Haley's tactic of just blurting it out was the best way to go.

"He's not going to care how you tell him," Nathan said with a laugh, throwing his arm around her shoulder. "Too bad we don't have mini Ravens jerseys or something."

"Oh God," she said with a laugh. "Of course, it'd have to be about basketball with you."

"Come on! That'd be great! A baby sized jersey? Best ever."

Peyton made a mental note to pass that information along to Haley. "You know? When we first talked about having kids, his main concern was what jersey number our child would have."

Nathan could only smile and shake his head. "He's going to be so happy."

"I know." The smile wouldn't leave her own face, and when he wrapped his arms around her again, she started to tear up which, of course, he made fun of her for.

The two sat a while longer, mostly in silence, but occasionally making jokes or talking about Lucas or Haley or Jamie or the next and newest Scott. Peyton drove home feeling like this was it. This was her life. Her family. Her memories waiting to be made. She'd spent the afternoon with her brother-in-law; the man who would play with her child and babysit, and most likely be a Godparent. She smiled at the thought. This was her life.

She entered her house - _their_ house - and made dinner for one for the last time. He was coming home. When she lay down to sleep that night, her heart felt a little more whole knowing he'd be there the following evening.

Little did she know that he had a surprise of his own.

----

It was 2:00 am and Lucas was walking up the steps to his house for the first time since he'd left. It seemed like ages ago. He felt a pang of guilt that he'd left his wife for that long, but he was home now. And he wasn't ever going to leave her for that long again; he'd already told his publishing company as much.

As soon as his official duties were done, he'd booked a seat on the next available flight out of New York. He wasn't scheduled to leave until the following afternoon, but he was told, to his relief, that he wasn't needed. Now here he stood, only a door separating him from the love of his life.

He unlocked the front door as quietly as he could and hoisted his suitcase into the house. He slipped off his shoes before making his way to their bedroom. He stood for a moment, just watching her as she slept. She hadn't migrated to the middle of the bed. Rather, she'd stayed on her side, as though waiting for his return. He noticed two pillows laying in the place that was usually his, and had to smile.

She looked beautiful in one of his old tee shirts. Her hair was splayed on the pillow almost perfectly, and her hands were tucked under her cheek. He simply loved that woman.

He crawled onto the bed and lay next to her so her back was to his chest, and pressed a chaste kiss to her temple. His heart swelled. He was finally next to her again. He didn't think he'd miss her as much as he did. At times it had been hard to breathe without her. He'd wake up in the night and reach out for her, frantic to find the bed empty. He really couldn't live without her.

She stirred in his arms and he kissed her once again, just to feel her.

"Mmm, Lucas," she muttered, half asleep and adorably out of it.

"Hey, baby," he whispered. He watched her eyes shoot open and she turned to him.

"Lucas! Hi!" She threw her arms around him and pulled him as close to her as she could. "What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be back till tomorrow!"

He laughed at her, but before he could answer, she was kissing him. His hand hooked around her back and pulled her into him. They stayed like that for what felt like forever, almost as though they were re-familiarizing themselves with each other.

"I missed you so much," he whispered breathlessly against her cheek.

"I missed you, too. So much," she echoed. "I love you."

"I love you," he said, puling away to look at her face. He brushed a piece of hair back and tucked it behind her ear, and kissed the tip of her nose for no reason other than he wanted to.

"How are you here right now?" she asked, snuggling against his side.

"I got an earlier flight. I had to come home and see you," he said quietly. He ran his hands over her body wherever he could. He needed to touch her. "I'm not leaving you like that again. Ever."

"Good," she sighed, leaning over to kiss the bare skin on his chest where his collar was open. "I don't like being without you."

His hand trailed up her spine and he felt her shiver. It had been too long without those touches. She leaned up and kissed him like she needed to. She needed _him_. She moved so she was straddling him, and pulled away from his lips, unbuttoning his shirt slowly as his hands moved idly on her hips. Her fingertips grazed the space below his belly button and he thought he was going to lose it then and there. He sat up and let her slide his shirt off his shoulders, then he laid her down so he was on top of her.

"God, Peyton. You have no idea how much I need you," he said softly, looking into her eyes.

"Yes, I do," she insisted.

She leaned up to kiss him again, as his hands slipped underneath her shirt, feeling the skin of her stomach. He pulled away from her lips and she whined at the loss of contact. And oh, how he loved that sound. He let out a hot breath on her neck as he kissed her and nipped at her earlobe.

"Lucas?" she whispered.

"Yeah, babe?" he muttered against her neck.

"I'm pregnant."

He pulled away and looked down at her smiling face. He let out a puff of air somewhere between a sigh and a laugh.

"You're...we're...Peyton..." he stuttered, and she felt his palm caress her stomach. "You are?"

"I found out yesterday," she said softly as she nodded.

He didn't say anything for a few moments. He just looked at her as his hand rested where his child was growing. She noticed a tear pooling in his eye, and reached up to cup his cheek.

"I love you," she whispered.

"We're having a baby," he stated with a smile and she nodded. "God, I love you."

He kissed her again and she felt the tear fall from his eye onto her own cheek. The sight and feel and thought of her husband unabashedly crying a tear of joy made her shed one of her own. He pushed the tee shirt up over her head. He'd always loved her stomach - he once said it was his favourite past time to kiss her tummy - but when he did it now, it brought a whole knew meaning.

----

Peyton woke up in her husbands arms and thought she might be dreaming. She didn't want to be one of those wives who _needed_ her husband - she'd never been that girl - but she'd given up the hope that she could ever let Lucas go a long time ago. She did need him, and she didn't care who she admitted that to. Those who didn't understand obviously had never had someone like Lucas love them.

He was still sleeping next to her and she didn't want to wake him, and truthfully, she didn't want to leave his arms. So she lay there until she heard him take a deep breath, like he always did when he first woke up, before he'd even opened his eyes. She'd come to love the sound, and now it brought a smile to her face now, after not hearing it for so long.

"Morning," she said softly as she felt him pull her into his side.

"You know how much I missed this?" he asked abruptly.

"What? This?" she asked, trailing kisses across his chest and nuzzling his neck.

"Definitely that," he growled. "But I meant just waking up with you."

"I was just thinking the same thing," she said with a smile.

"Sorry I woke you last night. I just had to hear your voice and..."

"And what?" she asked coyly, pulling away to look at him. She noticed the embarrassed smirk on his lips.

"I just had to be with you," he finished softly.

"I'll never get sick of hearing that." She remembered the first time he'd said it - as teenagers, stealing kisses in the hallway, both terrified of their feelings and what they meant; neither of them knowing those very feelings would have brought them _here_.

She kissed him and her hand crept up to his face, running over the stubble that graced his jaw line. She slung her leg over his and he let out a throaty moan. He'd had painfully vivid dreams about those damn legs...

"It is so good to be home," he said. He looked down at her angelic face and her bare shoulders, and he still couldn't believe she was his. And it wasn't that he'd forgotten her news from the night before, it just still hadn't sunk in yet.

"Ugh," she groaned, rolling away from him. "I should get up. I'm getting hungry." She stood from the bed and his breath caught in his throat. Suddenly every little thing she did, he appreciated that much more.

"Peyt," he said as she wrapped her robe around the naked body he'd been admiring. She turned to face him and sat on the edge of the bed. He took her hand before he spoke. "We're really having a baby?"

She leaned forward and kissed the boyish smile he was wearing. "We are."

"I'm just kind of..." he started, before realizing that he didn't have the word to complete that sentence. "Wow."

She wasn't sure if she'd ever heard him say anything as wonderful as that. It was silly, really, that of all the words he'd said and written over the years, she found herself falling in love with him more over his inability to find the right adjective.

"The one bad thing, though?" she said softly, resting her hand on his thigh, covered only by a bed sheet, and moving it slowly. "I was kind of hoping we'd have to _try_. A lot."

He raised an eyebrow and smirked that way that only he could, and leaned in to kiss her. Somewhere between an innocent enough kiss and parting, desperately needing air as their heartbeats raced, she wound up on his lap with her arms around his neck.

"Mrs. Scott, are you seducing me?" he asked in the husky tone that he knew drove her wild.

"What if I am?" she inquired coyly.

His only response was to tug at the sash of her robe as he kissed her again, sliding the blue satin off her shoulders before laying her down again and mumbling an _I love you_ against her lips.

So maybe _trying_ would have been fun, too. But when he, out of habit, reached for the drawer of the night stand, she stopped him and looked up at him with a smile. Then she whispered something almost unbearably sexy into his ear, and he realized that this was _definitely_ just as fun.

----

"Still hungry?" he asked as they lay together, tracing patterns on each others' skin.

"Is that an innuendo?" she asked, poking fun of the way he wrote his emails when he was away.

"It could be, couldn't it?" he said, kinking his brow as she laughed. "Earlier, you said you were hungry. I mean, before you took advantage of the man in your bed."

"Well, consider yourself lucky that it was you, mister," she teased. "I'm actually starving."

He stood and pulled on a pair of shorts and ran to the kitchen, leaving her laying in bed, stunned by his sudden burst of energy. She got up and pulled her robe over her shoulders for the second time that morning, and pulled her hair into a ponytail.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a laugh as she entered the kitchen.

"I'm making you breakfast. I want the baby to be really chubby and cute," he said with a grin, grabbing eggs and bacon from the fridge.

"Lucas, he's like, a tadpole right now or something," she said, laughing at her husband's eagerness.

"But he's our tadpole, babe," he said with a goofy smile, looking at her with love in his eyes.

She poured herself a glass of juice and watched him as he stood at the counter preparing to cook up their breakfast. She walked to him and tugged his arm gently until he turned to face her, then she smiled and kissed him chastely on the lips before walking to the table and taking a seat.

"You know how much it sucks to go without kissing for a full month?" she asked teasingly.

He froze. He had to tell her about Lindsey. Sure, he could just pretend it never happened, but he wasn't that guy. Just because she wasn't there and because she'd probably never find out if he didn't tell her, didn't mean that she didn't deserve to know. He'd never kept a secret from her, and he wasn't about to start now.

"Peyton, I need to tell you something," he said, placing his hands on the counter in front of him.

"Why does that tone of voice scare me?" she asked from her place at the table. She watched his posture change and got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that she knew wasn't just morning sickness.

"Lindsey kissed me. I stopped her. It was barely a peck on the lips and I pushed her away and told her she was insane. I asked for a different editor," he said hurriedly, finally turning to look at her when he was done speaking.

"She kissed you?!" Peyton shouted, standing from her seat.

"We aren't working together any more and I reported her to her boss," he said, walking towards her and hoping to calm her with his words.

"Where does she live?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"What?"

"Where does she live? She's about to get her ass kicked by a pregnant chick," Peyton said, walking back into their bedroom and searching for clothes to put on. He started to think that she was actually serious.

"Peyton..."

"Lucas! Every _single_ worry I had in my head when I first met her just came true. And I _told_ you that if she tried anything, I'd come after her. So guess what? She's about to find out what having a Marine for a brother can do for your boxing skills!" She was pulling items from their closet and tossing them on the bed.

"Babe, you need to calm down," he said, putting his hands on her upper arms and pulling her so her back was resting against his chest.

"Fine. I'll calm down. I'll just tell Brooke, and she can kick her ass for me!" she said.

"Peyton," he protested.

"Luke, just be glad I'm not mad at you," she said, turning to face him before going back into the kitchen.

"Why would you be mad at me?" he asked defensively.

"Obviously, you did or said something to make her think you wanted her to kiss you! Did she not see your wedding ring?"

"Peyton, she's insane. She said she was in love with me or something. She's crazy," he said, kneeling in front of her where she sat at the table again. He took her hands in his. "I told her you're the only one for me."

"What a _bitch_," Peyton said, ignoring his sweet words, and instead focusing on the woman who'd attempted to steal her husband.

"Honey, I really need you to just calm down, OK?" He didn't want to patronize her, but she was worked up over something neither of them had any control over.

"Why did you even tell me?" she asked curiously as she stared down at their intertwined hands.

"Because you're my wife and you deserve to know everything. I wasn't going to keep it from you," he explained. She leaned forward and kissed him again.

"Thank you for being honest with me," she said, looking into his eyes. "She's lucky I _don't_ fight her."

He was thankful he was still standing after his first of, likely, many encounters with Pregnant, Hormonal Peyton.

"Hey, I know," he said, standing and holding up his hands. "I seem to remember the shiner you gave Brooke for prom. Oh, and let's not forget Midnight Madness and you brawling with the rest of the cheerleaders. _And_ the mascot."

"Shut up!" she laughed. "That _was_ awesome, though. Me, Haley and Brooke against the rest of the squad." He just laughed from where he was at the stove. "You should _not_ be laughing, Luke. There was a time when you couldn't do anything without getting into a brawl. Usually with Nathan," she pointed out.

"Oh come on. He usually deserved it. Besides, I haven't punched anyone in a really long time," he explained, as though him not hitting people was something she should be proud of. She just laughed at him as he turned back to tend to their breakfast.

She wanted to be angry and upset and maybe not talk to him, but she knew it wasn't his fault, and that he'd obviously done all he could to keep Lindsey away from him. And now they had much more important things to worry about, anyway.

As she watched him move around the kitchen, smiling and comfortable and acting like this wasn't the first morning they'd spent together in weeks, it dawned on her that in just under 8 months, she'd be sitting there with a baby in her arms as he cooked for her. He'd walk over and kiss both of them and maybe tickle a tiny belly before he sat down to eat. He'd be a _father_. Knowing that she was the one who would give him the child that she knew would make him blissfully happy, made her have to wipe her eyes again. They were the ones to give each other all the happiness in the world, and she believed that was the mark of the perfect marriage.

When she stood and wrapped her arms around him from behind, kissing the bare skin on his shoulders and the back of his neck, he just let out a noise she'd never get sick of hearing, and placed his hand over hers.

How she'd ever lived without him for a month was a complete mystery to her.

----


	8. She's a Cross Around Her Neck

After their breakfast, Lucas and Peyton shared a long shower before making their way to Nathan and Haley's for an unannounced visit. Peyton knew the purpose of this visit was to spread their news, and she'd wished she'd had a chance to talk to the other couple before hand. She wasn't sure how Lucas would upon learning that they knew before he did. She really hadn't thought that part out when she'd told them.

Nathan swung the door open and a broad smile came to his face.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Nathan asked, pulling his brother into a manly hug.

"I got an earlier flight," he explained.

"Lucas!" Haley walked up behind them and launched herself at her best friend.

"Hey, Sawyer," Nathan said, wrapping an arm around her and pulling them into the house.

Haley shot Peyton a smile, and the blonde just looked to her feet, unable to hide how happy she was that he had come home, early no less.

"When did you get in?" Haley asked as they all settled into the living room.

"2:00 a.m.," Peyton said, rolling her eyes teasingly. Nathan laughed because of course he'd come home late and wake her up.

"I thought you two'd be locked in the house as soon as you came home," Nathan teased, earning him a slap to the arm from his wife.

"Actually, we came over because we have news," Lucas said, looking to Peyton with a wide smile as he took her hand in his.

Peyton shot glances to Nathan and Haley, in an attempt to encourage them to act as though they knew nothing.

"We're having a baby!" Lucas said proudly, with possibly the biggest smile that any of them had ever seen.

"Wow!" Haley said animatedly.

"Awesome!" Nathan added.

"You knew already, didn't you?" Lucas asked. He knew his brother and best friend, and he knew that their reactions would have been different had it been first hand information. He turned to look at Peyton, and his smile still hadn't faded, so they all knew he wasn't mad.

"I'm sorry," Peyton said sheepishly, meeting Lucas' gaze. He just laughed and pulled her closer so he could kiss her forehead.

"Nice try, though, guys. Oscar-worthy performance," he teased the couple across the room. "Who else knows?"

"Just them! No one else," Peyton clarified. Lucas just nodded and ran his thumb over her knuckles.

"We're so happy for you," Haley said sincerely, doing her best to keep her emotions in check. But her best friends were having a baby together, and even though she already knew, seeing Lucas so happy was making it all even more real.

"We are. Congratulations, man," Nathan added.

"Brooke's going to be so mad that she's the last to know," Peyton said, shaking her head.

"Oh God. She might not talk to you for a while," Haley laughed.

"How hot and heavy are her and Skills now, huh? _Exclusive_ and everything," Peyton said with a devilish smirk.

"Wait, what?" Lucas asked, surprised. "I asked her about it in an email and she said they were just 'hanging out'."

"Yeah," Nathan said, unable to stifle his laugh. "Hanging out naked. Like, all the time."

"Nathan!" Haley and Peyton shouted in unison. Haley shoved him playfully as they all laughed.

"I think it's good," Haley said after a few moments.

"I _know_ it's good," Lucas teased, wiggling his eyebrows, making Peyton glare at him. "What? Nate knows too!"

"Wow. Thanks, man. Take me down with you," Nathan said, shaking his head.

"Do you know _nothing_ about women?" Peyton asked, squinting at him as she spoke, letting him know that those types of comments, while mildly funny, were scarcely appreciated.

"Peyton, I have to go pick up Jamie from his friend's house. Why don't you come with me?" Haley asked, rescuing her best friend from whatever scolding he was about to receive from his wife.

"And leave these two to their own devices?" Peyton teased.

"We'll be fine," Lucas said, kissing Peyton softly before she stood. "What do you say, little brother? River Court?"

"Sounds good."

Truthfully, he would have loved to just spend the entire day with his wife just feeling _them _and that comfort he always felt when they were together, and appreciating all the little things he'd missed while he was away. But the thing he had missed only second to his wife and family, was basketball.

There hadn't been time on the road, and when there was, he couldn't find a court, and so when Nathan tossed him the ball for the first time in a month, that, too, felt like coming home.

"We should go to Brooke's later," Peyton said as they all started out the door.

"You could go..."

"Lucas Scott," came Haley's stern tone. "You are not making her go alone!"

Nathan and Peyton both laughed because yes, Haley knew Lucas almost as well as Peyton did, and both women knew that was exactly what he was about to suggest.

"Come by the River Court after you get Jamie," Lucas suggested. "I miss my nephew anyway. We'll go from there."

Peyton gave him a sweet smile before hopping into the passenger seat of Haley's SUV, and Lucas caught his brother's smile and a muttered _It's good to have you back_. But all he saw was Peyton.

It was good to _be_ back.

----

After an hour at the River Court alone, then another 30 minutes with the rest of their family there, Lucas somehow felt like things were finally getting back to normal. But then he saw his wife's hand cover her stomach, a move she probably thought would go unnoticed, and he knew that normal was light years away. But in a very, very good way. He wanted to run to her and kiss her, and tell her for the hundredth time how happy he was, but instead he just caught her eye and looked at her, the two of them having a silent conversation that they each knew no one else would pick up on.

On their way to Brooke's house, he let out a puff of air and started shaking his head, and she looked at him, curious as to what was going on in that gorgeous head of his.

"What?" she asked, letting her left hand rest on his shoulder like it always did when they were driving.

"This is just...amazing," he said seriously, turning to her briefly as he smiled. "I mean, we're going to have a family. A _family_, Peyt."

"We already have one, baby," she explained softly, rubbing his shoulder comfortingly. "It's just getting bigger."

"Are you happy?" he asked, taking her hand in his and pulling it to rest on his thigh with his.

"Are you kidding me?" she asked, as though she thought it crazy that he even posed that question. "Lucas, this is what I've wanted since I was 17. This life with you."

"Me too," he admitted quietly.

He couldn't explain the shyness; he'd told her before that she was all he ever wanted. But somehow, when your dreams are coming true you start to question how it's all possible, and it just takes your breath away. He felt it when when he kissed her senior year for the second first time, and when she said she'd marry him, and when she said _I do_. And he felt it the night before when she looked up at him, tired and emotional and just so obviously in love, and told him that they were going to have a child.

Walking up the steps to Brooke's house, she clung to his arm in a way that she rarely ever did. Only when she was nervous or scared or on the verge of breaking down, had she ever looped her arm through his in quite that way. So when he turned to her and smiled, and assured her that everything would be OK, she just nodded because it would be, she knew that, and because she loved that he knew her so well.

He was just about to knock on the door when they heard a loud giggle come from inside, and he muttered something about coming back later, when Skills would be nowhere in sight, but she swatted him on the arm and rang the doorbell before he could protest.

Flinging the door open, Brooke was surprised to see the two of them standing there, and they were surprised to see both Brooke and Skills, both fully clothed and obviously just having a conversation about something or another.

"Hi!" Brooke said happily, ushering them into the house. "Luke, you're home early!"

"Yeah. I got an earlier flight," he said, completely distracted by his childhood friend sitting nonchalantly on the sofa, totally unfazed and looking like he belonged there.

"Hey, man. Good to have you back," Skills said with a smile, standing to pull his oldest friend into a hug. He turned to Peyton and did the same, though they'd seen each other frequently in Lucas' absence.

Peyton was filling Brooke in on the whole story about Lucas' homecoming, leaving out the biggest detail of all, while Lucas was grilling Skills, just as he had with Nathan, about his team's performance while he'd been away.

They all settled in, with Brooke next to Skills on the sofa, and Peyton sat in a chair with Lucas perched on the arm, her hand on his leg and their fingers intertwined.

"OK, so we have some news," Peyton started, looking up to Lucas then back at their friends.

"You're _pregnant_!" Brooke cried, then her hand flew to her mouth and she closed her eyes as if trying to process the information.

"How did you...?" Lucas started.

"I'm her best friend!" she shouted, by way of explanation. "Oh my GOD!"

"Brooke," Peyton laughed, then noticed the tears in her best friend's eyes, and moved to sit next to her on the sofa. Soon - within seconds, really - both women were crying, and hugging each other, and Skills and Lucas were looking between each other and the two girls nervously.

"I'm just..." Brooke started, pulling away from Peyton and wiping her face. "So happy!"

"You want a minute?" Lucas asked delicately, watching as Peyton nodded. Both men, almost in unison, got up and kissed their respective womens' foreheads, then slipped out the door. Both women heard Skills saying _congratulations_, and they both smiled at that.

"Peyton," Brooke said softly. "I can't believe it. I mean, I can believe it because you're married and whatever but...You're going to be a _mom_."

"You're going to be an aunt," Peyton laughed, wiping her own face.

"But not really," Brooke said with a kinked brow.

Being an only child had always suited Brooke, until she grew up and found herself in love with children. She wished she had actual nieces or nephews, and though Haley, and now Peyton, would always call her 'aunt' to their children, she knew that it wasn't really true.

"Brooke, you've been my sister since we were 8," Peyton insisted, watching as Brooke shook her head. "You have. You were my family long before Lucas was."

They hugged again because they both knew those words were the truth, and they sat like that for a few minutes, crying happy tears and rubbing each others' backs.

"So does this mean I get to be Godmother?" Brooke asked, making Peyton laugh.

Of course, _that_ would be Brooke's main concern.

----

The next three and a half weeks were a complete blur. Peyton's father had returned from a long time away working, and though he knew of the pregnancy, he was more than excited to spend some time with his little girl, which yes, he still called her, despite her half-hearted attempts to make him stop.

Larry had pulled Lucas in for a fatherly hug and said, "Rake Boy, you done good." It had made them all laugh, and in that moment, they all wondered who was prouder than who, knowing in the end that it didn't really matter.

They'd invited him for their Sunday dinner with Nathan, Haley, and Jamie. The young boy was fascinated by the fact that Larry worked on a boat, and the older man spent all evening telling Jamie stories and tall tales that made his eyes go wide or made him laugh in that way that only children can. Lucas noticed Peyton's chin quiver and she placed her hand over her heart, and he knew that she was thinking of how great a grandfather her dad was going to be. So he pulled her in to his side and kissed her forehead, and whispered, "I think so, too," into her ear.

Before Larry had left that evening to 'leave the kids to chat', he handed Peyton two shoe boxes that had been taped shut and clearly hadn't been opened in years. He simply told her there were some things in there she'd want to have, and that her mother would have wanted her to have. She kissed him on the cheek as she said goodbye, and set the boxes in the bedroom so she could look through them later.

"Well, Jamie," Haley said. "You think we should tell them a story?"

"Yeah! Let's tell them!" he said excitedly.

It was just the five of them again, scattered around the living room like they usually did when the weather turned cold.

"OK. Go ahead," Haley prodded, and he looked up at her with wide eyes, asking if she was sure. He turned back to his aunt and uncle, smiling widely.

"Once upon a time, mama and daddy are having another baby! The end!" he said happily, completely unable to hide his delight.

"What?!" Peyton cried, eyes wide with surprise. "You too!?"

"Yes," Haley said after her laughter had died down. How could she not want another child when Jamie was so incredible?

"Your little guy's gonna have another cousin," Nathan said proudly, grinning ear to ear.

There was a chorus of congratulations and hugs were exchanged, just as had happened not even a month earlier. Lucas made a remark about now having to buy all new things instead of just using hand-me-downs, and they all laughed, except for Peyton, who just shook her head at him, making him shrug his shoulders innocently.

"You realize it's probably gonna be two more boys," Nathan pointed out, smirking at the thought of any more Scott men in the family.

"Probably," Peyton and Haley said in unison. Lucas was the only one who didn't comment.

"This is insane," he finally said, shaking his head, trying to process it all. "I can't believe it."

He was having a baby with the woman of his dreams. His best friend was having her second child with his brother. He wasn't sure life could get any better, and then he realized that in just about 7 months, it would be exponentially better.

After everyone had left, Peyton put on her satin nightgown, the silver one that Lucas had always loved, and collapsed into bed. In the previous couple weeks, she'd found herself tiring easily. She'd come home from work, go in to the bedroom to change, and Lucas would go in 20 minutes later to find her sleeping, still fully dressed in her work clothes.

She reached for one of the many books they'd bought, and began reading while he was in the living room watching the highlights of the day's basketball games.

He walked in 15 minutes later and began tugging off his shirt before he noticed her hand covering her mouth and the horrified expression on her face as she read her book.

"What is it?" he asked, concerned, as he tossed his shirt onto the chair and began undoing his belt.

"There are just...there are a _lot_ of potential side effects," she said in awe.

"Well, like what?" he asked, climbing into bed with her and peering over her arm at the book she held.

"Like...a lot of things that you don't even need to know," she laughed, pulling away from him so he couldn't read the laundry list of possible symptoms.

"You know, there are about 9 more books over there that I could read," he pointed out, gesturing to the stack of reading material perched atop his desk.

"It's fine," she said, brushing off her earlier concern. "A lot of them are highly unlikely. Like pica."

"What's pica?" he asked, smirking both at his own ignorance and her adorable interest in knowing everything there was to know about pregnancy.

"It's an eating disorder that makes you eat anything, even if it isn't really food. Like paper and soap and stuff," she explained, looking at him with a grimace.

"OK, I don't think that'll be a problem," he scoffed, reaching for his own book, an oft-read Dickens, and settling back into his own side of the bed.

"I don't know," she sang, gesturing to his book. "That's looking pretty tasty."

He just rolled his eyes and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek because she was so cute when she acted like that, even though they both knew it was completely dorky. About three minutes passed before she was talking again.

"Luke, what if I get all fat and gross and you hate me?" He could only laugh at that utterly ridiculous statement. "Stop laughing! I'm serious. I'll have like, boats for feet and huge hips and I'll be moody and impossible! "

"Babe, you're talking crazy. I won't hate you," he said, closing his book once again and turning to look at her.

"But what if I don't lose the baby weight?" she asked timidly.

"You're too skinny anyway," he shrugged.

"Luke," she protested, encouraging him to actually address her concerns.

"Peyton, pregnancy is beautiful, OK? And you're beautiful. I don't care if you don't lose the weight. Or if you have...boat feet and you're moody. You're carrying our little girl," he finished with a smile before resting his hand on her still fairly flat stomach, causing her to tilt her head at him.

Just recently, as recently as a few days before, she noticed her shape changing. It was subtle and she realized that no one else would have noticed; it just looked like she'd gained a couple pounds. But one morning as she was tugging on her top, she noticed Lucas' eyes and smile as he gazed at her adoringly, and of course, she knew he'd noticed it, too.

"Why are you so adamant that it's a girl?" she asked after placing her hand atop his.

"It's just a hunch," he said, shrugging his shoulders. "You still think it's a boy?"

"I think history is on my side," she explained, making him laugh. "The Scotts only have boys."

"What about Lily?" he asked smugly.

"Lily is an anomaly."

"Whatever you say, Peyt. We should make a bet!" he said excitedly.

"Lucas, I am not placing bets on the sex of our child," she admonished.

"I'm serious," he said, shaking his head and raising his eyebrows. "Or Nathan and Haley could bet on ours and we could bet on theirs and whoever wins would have to...I dunno...pay for the first date after the baby's born."

"Lucas Scott, you are _not_ serious," she scolded. He rolled his eyes dramatically, conceding defeat, and reached for his book again as she smirked because she'd at least won that round.

Another five minutes and she was talking again, and usually he'd be annoyed by that at least a little bit, but with the subject matter she was bringing up, he just couldn't.

"You know the baby's heart is gonna start beating any day now?" she asked, eyes wide, and hand resting on her tummy.

"Really?" he asked, turning towards her again. She nodded in response. "That's incredible."

"Yup. And he's gonna lose his tail soon," she teased.

"Well that's good news," he said with a laugh. He glanced at the page she was reading, and the diagram it showed, along with the short list of things to expect in your first trimester. "At least your morning sickness hasn't been that bad."

She looked at him with furrowed brows. "Yes. Because throwing up twice a day is _so_ much better than throwing up five times a day."

"I just meant...you know what I meant," he attempted. He had tried so hard to say the right things. That clearly wasn't the right thing.

"I know what you meant," she said with a smile. "I'll just be glad when this part is over and I can just kind of hang out."

"Hang out?" he asked with a laugh.

"Yeah. You know? No throwing up, no being so tired I can hardly get out of bed," she rattled off, closing the book and snuggling in next to him.

"Right."

His hand trailed up and down her arm like he always did before they drifted off to sleep, and that night, he said words he didn't need to say, but just felt like saying anyway.

"I'm pretty much entirely in love with you."

She tucked just that little bit further into his side and kissed his bare chest, and she fell asleep about two minutes later. He hadn't ever thought it possible to love her more than the day he married her, and yet seeing her day by day, pregnant and excited, he felt that familiar, and yet always completely surprising, feeling of _fullness_ in his heart. All the time.

----

Later that week, after having to run an after-school practice, Lucas had been called to watch Jamie as Nathan and Haley had an appointment with one of Nathan's doctors. He'd talked to Peyton and she'd assured him that it was fine, and offered to meet him to help with Jamie, but he said he didn't need her to, and she laughed and said she was thankful for the rest.

He returned home around 9:00, expecting to find her curled up in bed and looking all adorable. Instead, he found her on their sofa, with two yellowed old boxes open, and tears in her eyes, and items scattered around her and on the table.

"Hey," be broached carefully. He went to sit next to her on the sofa, and she lifted a few delicate items onto her lap to create room for him.

"Hi," she said with a smile. "This is the stuff my dad left."

"I know," he replied, taking in a few of the things she'd been looking at.

There were no birth announcements or photos of a tired mother with her newborn, but there was a photo of Anna and Larry with a baby girl swaddled in pink, and another that neither of them had ever seen, of the Sawyer family with Ellie at the hospital.

"Wow," he said, taking the photo in his hands. "That's pretty special."

"I know," she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder as they both looked down at the faded picture.

"What's this?" he asked with a sly grin, picking up a tattered piece of green fabric, no more than a foot square. "Is this Peyton Sawyer's _blankie_?"

"Dude, shut up," she admonished, taking the item from him. "I know for a fact that you slept with a teddy bear until you were 13."

"Don't call me dude, and how did you find that out? Haley told you, didn't she?" he asked incredulously.

"Your mom loves me, baby," she teased in a sweet voice, rubbing his back as he groaned. He made a mental note to ask his mother what other of his secrets she'd let his wife in on.

He caught sight of the simple necklace she had on, and reached over to thumb the pendant. It was a tiny gold cross, no bigger than the tip of her pinky finger, hanging on a thin gold chain.

"This was my first necklace," she explained. "I guess my mom and dad bought it when I was baptized."

"It's nice," he said softly, smiling at her. "We should get our baby one."

"We should," she agreed. As soon as she'd seen that necklace, she'd thought the same thing.

"What else ya got?" he said, clapping his hands together and pouring over the rest of the contents of the boxes.

She looked at him with complete adoration as he thumbed through photographs and keepsakes from her childhood. He was clearly enthralled, both because he'd never seen any of those things before, and because he was just so over the moon about their baby. She wondered if there was any man on the planet as amazing as Lucas, and then she realized that it didn't matter because she had _him. _


	9. She's 'I Can't Find a Thing to Wear'

Peyton's first trimester was finally over, and though she still tired pretty quickly, her morning sickness was gone. However, in its place came the mood swings. She'd been trying to control them, and Lucas had been incredibly understanding and sweet, indulging in whatever requests she made, and biting his tongue when she'd yell at him for little things that they both knew she had no business yelling at him for.

It was a Wednesday morning, and he knew it was going to be a rough one when she'd come from the shower and sat down to her breakfast, immediately complaining that she couldn't have a coffee, and all she wanted was just _one_ coffee. He'd suggested that he could make her a cup of decaf, and she sent him a look that terrified him, then refilled her glass with calcium rich orange juice and headed back into their bedroom to get dressed.

After 10 minutes, he heard the closet door slam and her frustrated voice mutter a few choice obscenities, something she rarely did.

"I _hate_ this shirt!" she shouted angrily. He walked into the bedroom to see her standing there in just jeans and a black bra, tossing a black button down shirt onto the bed in frustration.

She had only one pair of jeans she could wear, and they were from her time in L.A. She explained that they were a pair she'd had to buy after their breakup, because her bingeing on ice cream after every miserable day at work had left her pants too tight-fitting. It had made him feel bad, but the jeans themselves, he found incredibly sexy. They were worn in all the right places, and he didn't waste any time telling her that the first time she'd put them on.

"What's wrong?" he asked. He already knew the answer, but he knew damn well that if he mentioned her changing body to her when she was in that particular mood, he'd regret it. And he didn't exactly have a death wish, or a desire to get the silent treatment from her all day.

"I can't button that _stupid_ top because my boobs, _of course_, are too big," she ranted, throwing up her hands in frustration.

"Baby, you say that like it's a bad thing," he said, smirking as he walked towards her, thinking that his gorgeous, pregnant, just-starting-to-show wife would like the compliment.

"_So_ not the time, Luke," she said as she rolled her eyes. But then his hands were on her hips and his thumb ran over the side of her stomach, and her anger began to dissipate beneath that simple touch.

"You look amazing," he insisted quietly.

"You're just saying that because I don't have a shirt on," she said seriously. "I somehow don't think that going to the office this way would be very professional."

"So work from home today," he suggested, leaning in to kiss her collar bone as he pulled her just a little closer.

"Why do I have a feeling that 'work from home' would involve a lot more of this, and very little actual work?" she asked, feathering her fingers through his hair and tilting her head to the side as he kissed her neck.

"Because you know that's the truth?" he suggested, smirking against her cheek as he placed a kiss there. He walked her back towards their bed, laying her down gently before pulling his own shirt over his head. He saw her smile up at him and her eyes moved over his bare chest.

He dipped down to kiss her again, and she did nothing to stop him. His new favourite thing to do was rest his hand on her stomach as he pressed his lips to hers, and she couldn't say she didn't like it. It was a silent acknowledgment of how appreciative he was that she was carrying his child. When his hand moved to unbutton her jeans, she remembered that she was running late as it was, and she actually had a lot to do at the office. This wasn't helping her at all. Well, not helping her to get anything accomplished.

"Lucas," she said, trying to stop his ministrations. The shaky breathlessness in her voice did nothing to get her point across.

"Hmm?" he mumbled against her collarbone.

"Luke!" she cried. "I really need to get ready."

"Come on," he said with a grin. "I'm sure your boss will understand."

"_My boss_ knows that sex is no reason to be late for work," she scolded, pushing him off her and reaching for a shirt that she hoped to God would fit.

"It's a good reason if you ask me," he said with a shrug, watching as she pulled on a simple grey tee shirt that hung adorably over her stomach. He was starting to get the feeling that he'd just have to get used to her being this damn sexy through every stage of this pregnancy.

"I didn't ask you," she bit out curtly.

He was about to mumble something about her mood swings, but the way she was glaring at him made him change his mind.

"You sure you're going to be warm enough in that today?" he asked, pointing to her outfit as she wrapped a scarf around her neck. When he heard her sigh, he knew that apparently, she had mistaken his concern for criticism.

"I will be fine," she huffed. "_Where_ is my coat!?"

He stood, resisted the urge to laugh, and picked up her jacket from the arm of his desk chair, holding it out to help her with it, but she grabbed it from him and shot him an angry look.

"I'm not helpless, Luke," she seethed, stuffing her arms into the sleeves and grabbing her bag. "I'll see you tonight."

"OK," he said simply. He knew she wasn't really angry, so he didn't say anything to try to placate her. He knew that if he did, she'd think he was patronizing her, and it just wouldn't help matters in the least. "I love you."

She waved as she walked away from him, but didn't say those words back, and it would have hurt him if he didn't understand exactly what was going on with her. She was tired and cranky, and frustrated that she had to buy new clothes, and had no time to do that with since she was so busy with her work and so tired when she was home.

A half hour later, he was sitting at his desk and writing away, working on an idea that he wasn't quite certain would be the basis for his next novel, but had to get out of his head anyway, and the phone rang.

"Hello?" he answered.

"Hi," came Peyton's delicate voice, followed by a sniffle, and he knew she was crying. Those little sniffles would never stop breaking his heart each and every time he heard them.

"What's wrong? Are you OK?" he asked worriedly.

"I'm sorry," she said softly. He wanted to laugh because she was so damn cute. This wasn't the first time she'd called him from the office, or sought him out to apologize shortly after being so cranky with him. "You didn't do anything and I was a bitch to you this morning. I'm sorry."

"Hey, it's OK," he said quietly. "I know you're just frustrated."

"But you've been really great and sweet and understanding," she rambled, sniffling away. He could picture her wiping her cheeks as she sat at her desk.

"It's alright," he promised, shaking his head though he knew she couldn't see him.

"And you looked really, really sexy this morning and I walked out on you," she said in a low and quiet voice that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. How was it that even over the phone, she had this insane effect on him?

"Well," he drawled out, "if you wanted to come home and finish what you started..."

"Lucas!" she hissed, cutting him off. "Wait! What _I_ started?"

"Peyton, you can't expect to strut around in only your bra and those jeans I love and not make me want you," he explained, smiling as he spoke. He reclined in his chair and looked at the wedding photograph he had sitting on his desk. It was them at the River Court, her in her white dress with the ball in her hands, and him in his suit, knees bent and blocking her.

"This conversation's going to get us into trouble," she laughed.

"With who?" he asked. The question came out at a pitch higher than intended and made her laugh harder. That laugh was music to his ears.

"Good point," she conceded. "But I do have to go. I'm sorry. I'll see you tonight. And I _do_ love you."

"OK, good. I thought you might have forgotten or something," he teased, knowing she'd hear his smile over the line.

"Never could, baby," she promised. "Bye."

He laughed after she'd hung up, because even her mood swings were adorable, and she had absolutely no clue.

----

Peyton felt better after talking to Lucas and apologizing for how she had acted, but her day was still making her crazy, and she was starting to wonder how she was ever going to do it all. Not only all the work she had, but also how she was going to juggle her job and a baby at the same time. Of course, it had been one of the things she'd considered before they even got pregnant, but now it felt like it was just going to be impossible to do both. She wondered if maybe it was time to hire someone - someone young and energetic who she wouldn't have to pay a huge salary - just to help her out with the day to day things.

She was finally into a groove, getting things accomplished, and diminishing the pile of paperwork on her desk, when a perfectly dressed Brooke Davis strutted into her office. She didn't want to resent her friend for being so well put together, but there she was, sitting in jeans that could only barely button and a tee shirt, and she couldn't help but feel just a little bit jealous.

"Hey," Brooke chirped, setting a paper bag on Peyton's desk before taking a seat in the chair across it. "Thought you could use lunch. Greek salad. No olives."

Through her entire morning sickness phase, she hadn't been able to eat olives or, as later discovered, anything small and round. It was a strange neuroses, but she just couldn't do it, and all her friends learned that the hard way. They would have made fun of her for it if she hadn't been pregnant, but they all understood.

"Oh, that sounds perfect. Thank you," Peyton said sincerely, offering a smile.

"I was also thinking...I mean, Haley's asked me to design a couple things for her, and if you wanted, I could put some stuff together for you, too," Brooke offered, pulling out her portfolio to show some sketches.

"Did Lucas call you?" Peyton asked with her eyes narrowed and a smirk on her face.

"No. Why?" Brooke asked, furrowing her brow.

"Nothing. I just...this is kind of perfect timing," Peyton said vaguely, then noting from Brooke's expression that she had to explain. "I kind of got mad this morning because I've outgrown pretty much all my clothes."

"Peyton, you look great," Brooke insisted with a smile that they both knew was genuine. There were no lies being thrown around. "But take a look at these."

Peyton took the book from her friend and began flipping through the tasteful, classy, and totally stylish maternity wear, her eyes going wider with every turn of the page.

"These are amazing!" she gushed. "You could totally start a maternity line."

"Well, you two preggos get first dibs. I'll go from there," Brooke said, making them both laugh.

The two sat and chatted about colours and textures while Peyton ate her salad, with Brooke going on about her needing to eat more, and Peyton just rolling her eyes, but nodding knowingly. She'd been eating everything Lucas set in front of her with no complaints, because, well, she'd been hungry, but the nausea had left her not gaining any weight. Now that that part was over, she knew Brooke was right.

Brooke left her alone in her office around 1:30 and went out to buy fabric to start on the things both Peyton and Haley had asked for. Peyton worked for another solid hour before getting tired and restless, somehow both at the same time. She decided that she'd actually gotten more done than she'd expected she would, and that it wouldn't hurt to head home early, since she knew that there was no way she'd be getting anything else done anyway.

She walked through the door into their bedroom, and noticed Lucas laying on the bed, a pregnancy book closed next to him with the page marked with a Post-it. He was still in his clothes from that morning, and she took a moment just to look at him; the beautiful man she'd been lucky enough to marry. She wondered if he did this every day - took a nap in the afternoon. He'd never said anything about it, but she wouldn't be surprised. The boy loved his sleep. She thought briefly of laying down with him for a nap, but she was suddenly really not tired, and suddenly really in the mood to do something else.

She sat next to him on the bed, running her fingers through his hair as he slept. When his eyes fluttered open, the sight before him woke him immediately and he put on a sleepy smile.

"What are you doing home?" he managed, his voice thick with sleep.

"Finishing what you started this morning," she said with a smirk, laying down next to him and leaning in for a kiss.

"Mmm," he moaned when her lips hit his. "I thought we established that _you_ started it."

"Does it really matter?" she asked coyly, running her left hand along his stomach beneath his shirt.

"Yeah, not really," he sighed, pulling her into his arms and kissing her like he'd wanted to kiss her all day.

----

Brooke sat at her sewing table in the office of her house, and she heard the front door open and close. Only Peyton, Haley, and now Skills had keys, so she called out her location and continued working away as she waited for the visitor to come to her.

"Hey baby," Skills said with a smile.

She looked up from her work and gave him that dimpled grin that just about stopped his heart every time he saw it. She, however, could tell that there was something 'off' about him, just by the way he was playing with his hands and shuffling his feet.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concern in her tone.

"I gotta tell you something," he said seriously. "And it's crazy and...scaring me, but I don't care 'cause I just want you to know."

"Antwon..."

"I love you," he said, cutting her off. He watched her face go from worried, to shocked, and back to that dimpled grin. "I do, Brooke. I love you."

She stood from her place and walked towards him, kinking her brow in that way that only she could really do, and ran her hands down his arms to take his hands in hers.

"I love you, too," she admitted quietly. She'd barely gotten the words out and his lips were on hers.

"Thank God," he sighed after pulling away. "I didn't think you'd say it back."

"I've just been waiting for you to say it first," she said seriously, wrapping her arms around him and chuckling when he called her mean and pulled her against his chest.

And when Brooke thought back on all the other_ I love you's_ she'd heard in her life, she thought that his was definitely the one that felt the most real. They didn't have secrets. They treated each other with respect and care and honesty, and she felt like he was the kind of man she'd been looking for all along. And she'd just needed to hear those words as confirmation.

----

The next day, after a perfectly pleasant evening including a nice dinner and a walk through the neighbourhood, Lucas woke Peyton by pressing a kiss to her temple, as he did nearly every morning. It was her favourite way to wake up, and on the occasional days when she'd wake up before he came in to perform the task, she'd pretend to be asleep so she wouldn't miss that part of her morning.

"Morning," she said sleepily, rubbing her eyes and then taking in his appearance. He was in just his pajama pants and a tee shirt, and had a cup of coffee in his hands. "Are you trying to torture me?"

"It's for you. I checked all the books, and it's OK for you to have a coffee every now and then," he said with a smile. "It's perfectly safe."

"Oh my God, you're my favourite husband _ever_," she said quickly, sitting up to take the mug from his hands. She took a sip and closed her eyes, savouring the taste she'd missed so much since finding out she was pregnant.

"Good to know," he said with a laugh. "You should get up though, if you want to be on time for work."

"I'm not going," she insisted, taking another sip that tasted every bit as good as the first.

"What? How come?" he asked, though he couldn't say he didn't love the idea of having her home with him all day.

"Because yesterday I wore the last clean shirt I own that fits me, and I don't have anything else appropriate for work," she informed him. "So I'm going to stay here and wear pajama pants and one of my old tee shirts, and work in the living room."

"I'm OK with that, as long as you are," he said with a smile.

"Hmm...let me check with my boss," she said dramatically, looking skyward as she placed her hand beneath her chin. "Yup, she's fine with it."

"I love you," he said with a smile.

She wasn't sure what prompted him to say it, but she wasn't about to complain. She'd never get tired of hearing those words from him.

And so he went to the kitchen and got himself a cup of coffee, and brought her breakfast in bed, sitting and chatting with her while she ate.

She showered and pulled her hair into a messy ponytail - the kind she'd only wear around him - and slipped the worn cotton of her old, faded Ravens tee shirt over her head. It barely covered her now noticeable bump, and she brought her hand to rest on the fabric as she smiled. She wondered how she could have two totally different reactions to ill-fitting clothing, before she remembered that she was in mood-swing hell.

He was writing at his desk and watching her adoringly. Before she went to set up her laptop in the living room, he stood up and stopped her, leaning down to kiss her and tell her she looked sexy in his team colours.

She was starting to think she could get used to working from home.

She settled down on the floor with a large pillow beneath her and her back resting against the couch, and a blanket around her shoulders. She began crunching numbers and evaluating her day-to-day workflow, trying to decide if she could actually afford to hire someone to help her. She came to the conclusion that she definitely had enough room in her budget to bring someone in three or four days a week, but she wanted another opinion.

"Luke!" she called. "Lucas!"

"Hey!" he said, running in from the bedroom before noticing her there, perfectly fine and chewing her pen cap. "OK, can you _not_ to that?"

It had always bothered him when she'd shout his name so urgently like that. He always thought the worst and it sent his heart racing, which probably wasn't good for his HCM. He'd never put it into words for fear of worrying her, but he'd tried to get her to stop. Apparently his requests had fallen on deaf ears.

"What?" she asked, innocently looking up at him from her place on the floor.

"Scream like that. I swear you take 10 years off my life every time," he said, sitting on the couch behind her with his legs on either side of her shoulders.

"Sorry, baby," she said, tilting her head back and looking up at him. He let his left hand fall to her shoulder and he gave it a squeeze.

"So what's going on?" he asked, trying to peer at her screen from his place.

"I want your advice," she said. "I am thinking of hiring someone to help me out. Just a few days a week. I think if I have someone to do the administrative stuff, that'll clear a lot of my schedule and it'll be better for me. Less stress, you know? And after the baby comes, it'll help, obviously. After that, it'll free up time for me to scout more artists and do more of the creative stuff."

He just chuckled at her explanation. She'd clearly thought this out enough. But he knew the way her mind worked, and she liked to talk things out with him. He assumed it made her more confident in her choices to hear her own voice selling her ideas.

"So what do you need my advice on?" he asked with a smile. "I think that's a great idea if it's going to help."

"It'll just give me more time with you and the baby. I can work when you're watching him and you can work when I am. I mean, if you're alright with that," she said quickly.

He leaned down and kissed the top of her head. He'd thought about that topic a lot. He was perfectly OK with staying home with the baby whenever necessary. He and Nathan had a conversation about it, how they'd both essentially be stay at home dads, and they both decided that it would be great. They could hang out together with the kids while Haley and Peyton were working.

And he didn't fail to notice that she, once again, was referring to the baby as 'he', but he was still sure they were having a girl. Any time she spoke about the baby, she called it 'he' and any time he spoke about the baby, he called it 'she'. It was one of those things that they each did that the other secretly found adorable.

"I am totally fine with that," he assured her.

"OK," she said confidently. "Now I just have to write up a job-description and find someone perfect to fill the role."

She leaned forward and began typing out a list of responsibilities, and he massaged her shoulders while she worked, neither of them saying a word for a while.

"Working from home is the best thing ever," she said dreamily, clearly loving the attention she was getting.

"Part and parcel with being here when I am," he said, leaning down to kiss her temple. "You want lunch?"

"I love you!" she said happily, turning to face him. He laughed as he got up and made his way to the kitchen with her calling after him. "You really are my favourite husband, you know that?"

"I better be!" he shouted back.

----

Lucas, Nathan and Skills had to run an after-school practice, and right before he'd left the house, Peyton told Lucas that Brooke was going to be coming over to keep her company while he was out. When Lucas saw Haley walking down the hall, looking completely exhausted, he pulled her into a friendly hug and told her to go to his place and hang out with the girls, and that there was leftover chocolate cake from the night before. She explained that Jamie was with Deb and that she could use girl time - and the cake - and asked him to tell Nathan where she was going.

She walked into the house and saw Peyton there, in a royal blue tee shirt with the white cursive of the team's logo on it, and she had to smile to herself.

"Hey Haley," Peyton said with a smile, moving over to let her friend sit on the couch.

Haley promptly laid down and rested her feet on Peyton's lap, sighing deeply.

"Honestly? Worst day ever," she explained. "Some kid mouthed off at me in my first class."

"Oh, bad move," Peyton laughed as she shook her head.

"Yeah. He didn't appreciate when I asked him to stop texting while I was trying to explain _The Grapes of Wrath_. So he started talking back. I picked up his backpack and tossed it into the hall when he wouldn't leave," she explained.

"Haley!" Peyton shouted while she laughed.

"I asked nicely first!" Haley said in defense of her actions. "Principal Turner, however, didn't find it as hilarious as you. He told me to just call him next time something like that happens."

"That's not nearly as fun as throwing things around, though," Peyton said, still laughing.

"Right?" Haley said with a smile. "I _so_ wish I could have stayed home in my sweats like you, you slacker."

"Hey, after yesterday's meltdown over two little buttons that wouldn't stay shut, I think I earned the day of working in sweats," Peyton said. "The Ravens tiny tee shirt from senior year works at home, but not at the office."

"Yeah, well at least you don't have to dress like this," Haley said, pointing to her own clothes - black pants and a burgundy button down blouse. "I can't wait to get home and change."

"So don't," Peyton said with a shrug. She stood from her place and disappeared into her bedroom, emerging moments later with a Beatles tee shirt and a pair of grey sweatpants. "Here. Put these on."

"I love you!" Haley squealed, grabbing the items from Peyton and heading for the bathroom to change. "And I was promised chocolate cake, too!"

"Oooo! Good idea!" Peyton said excitedly. She made her way to the kitchen to dole out two big slices of cake, with two glasses of milk.

"Where's Brooke?" Haley asked when they were seated in the living room again, listening to the sounds of Patty Griffin as they dug into their cake.

"I dunno. She said she'd be here by now," Peyton said with a shrug.

As if on cue, Brooke burst through the door and made her way to sit in the vacant chair across the room.

"OK, good thing I'm making you two clothes, because these looks? I can't live with for the next 6 months," Brooke said with a raised eyebrow.

"Well you aren't sewing fast enough," Haley muttered.

"What happened to your stuff from when you were pregnant with Jamie?" Brooke asked.

"I was 18! My style has changed...drastically," Haley said, making them all laugh.

"So really, how are the clothes coming? Because I really can't stay cooped up in here forever, and I have nothing to wear," Peyton said, after taking a drink of her milk.

Brooke looked at the sight before her, her two best friends, pregnant, hormonal, dressed in sweats, and still the two happiest people she knew. She smiled at the thought of the two babies she'd get to spoil in mere months, and how much happier everyone would be then.

"Well, I'd have something done, but I kind of got distracted when Skills told me he loves me," she explained, barely able to contain her smile.

Haley just about choked on her cake, and Peyton's eyes went so wide that Brooke was almost worried.

"That's amazing!" Peyton shouted. "Brooke!"

Haley was tearing up, wiping her eyes carefully with her index finger and waving off Brooke's concern. "Hormones."

"You two are insane, you know that? What the hell were Lucas and Nathan thinking, getting you both pregnant at the same time?" Brooke said with a laugh, making Peyton and Haley look at each other and shrug.

"Actually, I'm three weeks behind blondie here," Haley pointed out with a mouthful of chocolate. "But don't change the subject! Tell us all about it!"

Brooke replayed the entire scene to her best friends, and the three of them ate cake, listened to music, and talked about whatever came up for the next hour and a half, until Lucas, Nathan, and Skills walked in. Each of them gravitated towards their women and said their hellos.

"Nice outfit," Nathan said to Haley with a smile, knowing how much his wife was complaining that morning about having to wear dress pants. "And Ryan said you kicked him out of class today."

"That punk had it coming," Peyton informed him.

"How do you know? You were here in your pajamas all day," Lucas said with a laugh.

"It's true!" Haley said indignantly. "Wait, how do you know Ryan?"

"He's on the JV team," Nathan informed her.

"Right. Well next time he wants to mouth off to his teacher and then talk about it at practice, maybe he should remember who I'm married to," Haley said angrily.

"He knows," Nathan said as he smiled. "That's why he told me to pass along his apologies for acting like that."

"Oh," Haley muttered, making everyone laugh.

They all chatted about their respective days for about a half hour, before Nathan and Haley left to go home to their son, and Haley promised to return Peyton's clothes at a later date. Brooke and Skills left shortly after, with Brooke telling Peyton she'd drop off a few tops the next day.

Lucas tidied the living room, clearing the girls' dishes and putting away Peyton's laptop and paperwork, while she started making their dinner.

"Hey, we have our first ultrasound tomorrow afternoon," Lucas said with a smile, wrapping his arms around Peyton's waist as she stood at the stove.

"We do," she said.

"What's wrong?" he asked, noticing something was bothering her.

"Nothing! I'm just...you know me," she said, brushing off his question.

"You're worried something's going to go wrong," he filled in, and watched as she nodded. "Peyton, we've read every pregnancy book ever published, and we're on track with everything, OK? The only thing they might tell you is that you haven't gained enough weight, and that is easily remedied."

"Is that why you bought the cake?" she asked with a smile, pointing to the now empty plastic box sitting on the counter.

"You _begged_ me for chocolate cake last night," he said, laughing.

"Yeah," she shrugged. "But you didn't have to get it."

"Right, because I've ever been able to say no to you," he scoffed, making her roll her eyes. "Everything's going to be fine. But if I cry when I hear her heartbeat for the first time, don't make fun of me."

"If you cry, it'll only make me cry," she said seriously. "So man up, OK?"

He just laughed, but he had a feeling that their appointment the next day would make him completely break down as a result of his happiness. He knew they'd wind up being that totally cheesy couple that held hands and teared up at the first sight of those black wavy lines on the monitor.

And he couldn't wait.


	10. She's a Soft Place to Land

Brooke stopped by the next day, just in time for Peyton to change to go to her appointment. Lucas had gone out for groceries and would be back in an hour, so Peyton tried on all three items - two tops and a dress - before he returned. Brooke was laying on the bed, perched on her elbow as she watched Peyton model her newest items of clothing.

"Seriously Brooke, you're saving my life," Peyton said quickly, looking at herself in the mirror in her new empire waist black top with satin detail.

"It's the least I can do. You're giving me a Godchild," she said with a smile. Peyton winced, knowing that she and Lucas hadn't yet talked about the Godparent scenario, and she wasn't sure what the outcome would be.

"Brooke, I can't promise anything. I mean, I don't know what Lucas has to say about any of that. And we have almost 6 months to go," Peyton explained quickly, hoping not to hurt her best friend's feelings.

"It's OK," Brooke said sincerely. "I was joking anyway. Not that I'd say no if you asked me. I just mean I understand the situation. It's kind of hard to compete with his brother and his best friend."

"It's not a competition!" Peyton said with a laugh.

"It could be! Kind of like on Friends with the maid of honour challenge," Brooke said, flashing her dimples.

"Brooke..."

"I know, I know," the brunette conceded. "Oh! I have something else for you."

She reached into a bag and produced what looked like a short black tube top, handing it to Peyton, who looked at her like she was crazy.

"What the hell do you expect me to do with this?" Peyton asked with a raised brow.

"It's called a belly band. You just slip it over your jeans and you can wear them with the buttons or the fly undone, and that will hold them in place. That way you don't have to buy a bunch of new pants," Brooke explained.

"That's genius!"

"I know, right? I wish I'd come up with that," Brooke laughed, watching as Peyton applied a little makeup - waterproof mascara, she noticed. "So today's the big day, huh? First ultrasound."

"Yeah. I know I'm going to lose it," Peyton said with a laugh. "I mean, I think today is just going to make it all real, you know?"

"Um, honey, it's already real. I'm making you maternity tops and you're eating like a horse," Brooke said with a laugh, shrugging her shoulders when her friend looked at her with her mouth agape.

"I just mean that...I mean, hearing the baby's heartbeat for the first time is going to be..."

"Scary? Amazing? Beautiful?" Brooke supplied.

"Yeah. Exactly," Peyton said as she fastened her necklace. "OK. I'm ready."

"You look amazing," Brooke said, smiling as she looked at her best friend in one of her creations. "Maybe lip gloss. Pink. But light pink, not like, Cyndi Lauper pink."

Peyton had just finished laughing and applying the cosmetic when Lucas walked through the door, stopping in his tracks when he saw his wife. She looked beautiful with her hair pulled into a wavy ponytail and just the perfect amount of makeup.

"Hi," he managed despite his staring. Brooke took note of his attention and sent Peyton a wink.

"I'm gonna go. I expect to see the sonogram photos within two days, or I'm going to hunt you down," Brooke warned as she grabbed her purse and made her way to the door.

"I promise," Peyton laughed.

Once Brooke had left and closed the door behind her, Peyton noticed the smile on Lucas' face as he gazed at her.

"OK, I know I haven't worn real clothes for a couple days..."

"You look amazing," he insisted, walking towards her so he could rest his hands on her hips as he'd always loved to do.

"You can thank Brooke," she said softly. Suddenly she felt like a teenaged girl again, self conscious and nervous in the presence of the boy she liked.

"It has nothing to do with Brooke," he said with a smile. "You're beautiful."

He kissed her, and she let him because she wanted it. She felt his hands move to her face and caress her cheeks like the always did, and she snaked her arms around him before they broke apart.

"Now I need to put more lip gloss on," she complained jokingly.

"I don't understand lip gloss," he said, pulling away from her before he laid on the bed and propped himself up on his elbow.

"What do you mean you don't understand it?" she asked with a laugh.

"I mean, you put it on, right? Trying to make yourselves look all irresistible so we'll want to kiss you. But then you don't actually let us kiss you because it'll mess up your lip gloss. It's totally hypocritical," he explained seriously.

"Have I ever told you that you think too much?" she asked, turning to him before grabbing her jacket. "And that's called a catch-22, babe."

"I hate that you're smarter than me!" he said as he pulled the door closed behind them.

The drive to the doctor's office was mostly silent, with each of them quietly contemplating the significance of this day. This was one of the days they'd always remember - the first time they saw their first child. He knew that when she rested her hand on his on the gearshift, and he looked over at her and smiled, that she'd see just how happy he was.

She changed into a gown while he waited, and then positioned herself on the exam table as they waited for their doctor to come in.

"OK, honestly, this is pretty much the most comfortable way to sit ever," she said with a laugh, resting her head back on the table.

He was just about to respond, but their doctor walked into the room with a pleasant smile, greeting them with handshakes as she took her spot on the stool.

"Mr. and Mrs. Scott, it's great to see you again," Dr. Heymans said. "You're looking great. Just starting to show!"

"Yeah. I've had some trouble finding clothes," Peyton said. It was an understatement that made Lucas smile at her in that way that let her know that he was on to her.

"I've been there. Trust me. I've got three kids, and still, every time you put on that shirt and it doesn't button, you feel like you want to cry," Dr. Heymans said with a laugh, eliciting the same response from the couple before her. "So anything strange? Weird feelings? Any concerns?"

"No. Nothing out of the ordinary. I mean, I think Luke could do without the mood swings," Peyton laughed. "But the morning sickness is gone and I'm eating well."

"Good," the doctor said, pulling the machine she'd need to perform the ultrasound towards her. "I'm sure you know this gel will be cold."

"Yeah," Peyton said, but that didn't stop her from wincing when the substance hit her stomach.

"And Mr. Scott? How are you?" the doctor asked.

"I'm moody and constantly hungry. I think I've gained 5 pounds. And I cried watching CSI the other day," he said, making both women laugh.

"Sympathy," the doctor nodded. "It's completely normal for you to experience some of the things your partner is. And the weight gain is probably because every time she snacks, you do, right?"

Lucas just nodded and laughed as he watched Dr. Heymans place the instrument on Peyton's stomach.

"OK. So it looks like you're at 13 weeks right now, Mrs. Scott." She paused to click a few buttons on her keypad as both Lucas and Peyton waited for her to speak again. "Everything looks great so far. Here is your baby's head. And here....This is your baby's heartbeat."

A soft and rapid thumping echoed throughout the room, and Lucas squeezed Peyton's hand for no other reason than he just _had_ to. He leaned in to kiss her forehead, and she looked up at him, eyes glistening with unshed tears. She noticed his eyes were sparking as well, and she couldn't be sure if he was about to cry, or if he was just happy. He whispered an I love you in her ear, and she heard the break in his voice. He let out a short sigh when she rested her hand on his stubbled cheek.

"So your official due date is June 8," the doctor said happily. "I'll have sonogram photos printed and waiting at reception when you're ready. You can schedule your next ultrasound for around 21 weeks."

"Alright," Peyton nodded, wiping the last of her tears.

"And I'd suggest you put on a little more weight, but there's nothing to be alarmed about right now. The nausea pretty much counteracts how much you were eating, and since you're so tiny - not that I'm bitter," Dr. Heymans laughed, "I'd like to see you bulk up a bit. I assume you've read all about nutrition, but here's some information about healthy fats and all the vitamins you need."

Lucas took the pamphlet from their doctor and thanked her before she congratulated them once again and said she'd see them in a couple months. Dr. Heymans told them to update her with any concerns, and to tell Haley and Nathan she'd see them in a couple weeks for their first sonogram.

Yes, they shared a doctor. Dr. Heymans had been Haley's OB-GYN when she was pregnant with Jamie, and had insisted she was wonderful, explaining to Peyton that she should call her.

"I told you not to cry," Peyton said with a smile as she swung her legs around and set them on the floor.

"Sorry," Lucas said sheepishly. "I just...it's...wow."

"I know," she admitted softly. "I think I would have cried either way. I kind of love you for that reaction." She watched as a wide smile spread on his lips, and kissed him quickly before hopping off the exam table. "Now let's get out of here."

"So, should we go show everyone the sonogram photos?" he asked before she slipped into the bathroom to change.

"Lucas, I finally have something to wear that I love. You are taking me to dinner," she insisted, making him laugh and nod his head.

Who was she to deny her what she wanted? And besides, she looked really damn sexy in that shirt and her favourite pair of jeans.

----

After a lovely dinner at their favourite restaurant, Peyton and Lucas stopped by Nathan and Haley's place, not knowing that Brooke and Skills were there already. They thought it perfect that everyone was in the same place to share the joy of seeing their baby's first photos.

Haley cooed and cried and called the baby cute, which was met with glances from Nathan and Brooke, who questioned how she could tell, and she replied that she just _knew_. Nathan and Skills offered congratulations, and Brooke teared up as the three women hugged.

They went home around 9:00 after a long day out, and Peyton immediately snuggled into bed with book Lucas had recommended she read. She'd complained days before that she needed a break from pregnancy books, so he'd pulled on of his old favourites off the shelf and handed it to her.

Lucas stayed at his desk and wrote for about an hour and a half, typing away and stealing glances at his wife as she had her nose buried in his old hardcover. When he finally pulled off his jeans and tee shirt and climbed into bed next to her, he grabbed the book he was trying to get through, and the two of them lay in silence.

Every once in a while, she'd pull his attention away to read her favourite lines and passages, and he loved that she did that. When it happened four times in 20 minutes, he had to hide his irritation. But then he noticed her smile as she read, and he had to wonder how he could ever be irritated with her.

"Luke," she said, pulling him once again from the book he'd been trying so hard to focus on.

"Hmm?" he replied, trying to finish the paragraph he'd been reading before turning to her.

"I'd really love some ice cream. Vanilla. The really good kind, you know? When you can see the little brown flecks of the vanilla beans?" she rambled. She looked at him with what she hoped was a really cute and innocent expression.

"And you're asking me to go get it," he stated, closing his book finally and looking at her. If he didn't love her so damn much, he would have groaned at the request.

"No!" she exclaimed. "I just said I wanted some."

She knew he'd go.

He sighed and smiled at her, kissing her forehead before checking the clock. 11:30. He got out of bed and pulled on the clothes he'd taken off only an hour earlier.

"I'll be back in a bit," he said, shooting her one last loving glance before slipping out the door.

He drove his car down the relatively empty streets of his hometown and parked in the lot of the only grocery store he knew to be open at this hour. Meandering down the frozen foods aisle, he picked out the best, most expensive, rich-looking vanilla ice cream and chuckled to himself. She really did have him wrapped around her finger. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Well, well," a voice called out.

Lucas turned and tipped his head back, laughing again when he saw his brother walking towards him.

"Ice cream, huh?" he asked, pointing to the carton in Lucas' hands.

"Yup," Lucas said as they walked through the store together.

"Haley sent me for Cool Ranch Doritos," Nathan laughed. They rounded the corner to the pick up the chips, both of them shaking their heads.

"You think these are actually cravings, or just a test to see how much we'll do for them?" Lucas asked. "I mean, it's pretty odd that we're both here at the same time."

"I don't know, Luke. I just know that even when Haley _says_ she's 'not asking' for something, she's still asking," Nathan said with a laugh, using finger quotes to emphasize his point.

"They're probably on the phone with each other right now, talking about us," Lucas laughed.

"Does it really matter?" Nathan asked with a grin. "I mean, I'm pretty much going to do whatever she asks anyway, right?"

They each paid for their respective items, said their goodbyes, and got back in their cars with the promise that they'd try to play ball at the River Court the following day. Lucas had a feeling that when he went back home, Peyton would be fast asleep, so he was surprised to see her still sitting in the same position on their bed. She smiled when he came back in, and he went straight to the kitchen to dole out a bowl of ice cream for her.

"Thank you," she sang, and grinned when he placed the dish in her waiting, outstretched hands.

He slipped out of his jeans once again, hoping she wouldn't send him out for anything else. Settling back onto his side of the bed, he reached for his book and opened to the page he had marked, searching for the sentence he'd last read. A chorus of delighted moans, distracted him even more than her incessant chatter from earlier. But for an entirely different reason.

"Good?" he asked, trying not to show the effects she was having on him.

"_So_ good. Want some?" she asked, holding out her spoon.

He rolled his eyes in dramatic fashion and set down his book again, leaning closer to her, but she recoiled the spoon and put its contents in her own mouth, laughing as she saw the expression on his face.

"You tease!" he said with wide eyes.

She leaned forward and kissed him, immediately pressing their tongues together to share the taste of the cold treat. When she finally pulled away, she wore a devilish smirk.

"That's some good ice cream," he admitted, his voice husky with lust.

"You want some more?" she growled, running her hand along the inside of his thigh.

"Hell yes," he said, lunging at her and making her laugh.

----

Peyton and Lucas spent all of the next morning on the phone with his mother, and her father, and Derek, and then Lily called and wanted to talk to them both. By 1:00, both their ears hurt and when Peyton stifled a yawn, Lucas suggested they take a nap.

She thought it was adorable how caring and gentle and protective he was being. She always knew he'd do anything for her, and he'd told her as much, but now it felt as though he was going above and beyond. He was attentive and seemed to know how she was feeling even before she did. She really did love him more than she ever thought she would, and every time she thought about having his child - their child - she felt like she had to pinch herself to prove it was true.

But the way his hand rest on her stomach when they lay down to sleep proved it all was real. It was all happening. And fast. He must have noticed her breathing speed up as her worries increased.

"What's wrong?" he asked, propping himself up on his elbow and looking down at her as she lay on her side with her back to him.

"We are going to have a baby in less than 6 months," she explained.

"I know," he said, smiling at the thought.

"No, Luke. 6 months. Not even. That isn't much time," she said worriedly. "We don't have anything picked out, no furniture or anything. We haven't talked about a car or a nursery or who his Godparents are going to be..."

"Slow down," he said reassuringly. "We have time to talk about that all. I know you're this hyper-organized business woman, but 6 months is a long time."

"What if we don't get everything done in time?" she asked quietly, showing her vulnerability.

"We will. I promise, OK?" he said with a smile, kissing her temple before laying down again.

She'd just rolled back over and closed her eyes when his phone rang.

"Seriously, Luke? You couldn't turn that thing off?" she asked curtly. "Trying to sleep, here."

"Sorry. It's Nathan. I'll go out there," he said, gesturing to the hallway.

He opened his phone and closed the door at the same time, and Nathan's voice in his ear told him to meet him at the River Court. When Lucas crept back into the bedroom, he sat on the bed looking down at her and told her he was going out for a bit, asked if it was alright with her, and when she smiled and said he didn't need permission, he just laughed and bent down to kiss her again.

Lucas got to the River Court before Nathan did, and pulled the ball from his trunk, making his way to the blacktop where he'd always felt at home. His brother showed up a few minutes later, getting out of his car as Lucas sank a three-pointer.

"Needed to escape?" Lucas Laughed as he saw Nathan approaching.

They both knew that the River Court was their safe place, and over the course of the last couple months, they'd find themselves there, trading stories and assuring each other that they weren't the evil men their wives occasionally made them out to be.

"More like pushed out the door," Nathan explained, smirking despite himself. "I was playing X-Box with Jamie, and she said I was hogging her _baby boy_."

Lucas laughed again at the situation they were both in.

"What the hell were we thinking getting them both pregnant at the same time?" Lucas asked as he shook his head.

"We weren't," Nathan said seriously, clapping his hands together asking for a pass.

"Apparently not," Lucas added, watching as his brother sank his shot.

"She made me watch _The Wedding Date_ the other night on some crappy women's network," Nathan said after a while, grabbing a bottle of water and downing a bit of it.

"Oh, God. Me too," Lucas said, rolling his eyes in obvious disdain.

"Haley cried. She said she doesn't get why you and I don't make declarations to each other like the girls in the movie," Nathan explained with a furrowed brow, wincing at just how ridiculous his wife's statement was.

"Peyton, too," Lucas laughed. "She begged me to use that line with you the next time I saw you."

"_You're my half brother, but I whole love you_," they said in unison, laughing as soon as the words were out.

"We could humour them," Nathan offered.

"Dude, all I _do_ is humour her," Lucas laughed.

"Yeah," Nathan said with a nod. "Just think of what it'd be like if you didn't."


	11. She's a Warm Conversation

Peyton was well into her 4th month of pregnancy by the time she'd compiled a suitable list of possible employees. The few interviews she'd had were...well, disastrous. A high school drop out with a mohawk and a leather jacket, a 40-something failed guitarist turned bread baker, and a single mom looking to take on her 3rd job. She was sympathetic to each of them, but she just didn't believe that any of them were the perfect person for the job.

Lucas had insisted that he or Nathan be there for each interview 'just in case'. She didn't really understand what that meant, but he explained that you never know who you might encounter, and that he didn't want her alone with these strangers. She just kissed his cheek and thanked him for worrying about her, and agreed because she knew it would put him at ease.

She'd decided to do the rest of her interviews all in one day, and Lucas had two practices to run, so Nathan joined her and sat in her office reading a stack of sports magazines he'd brought to keep himself occupied. He would have complained, but he actually kind of liked hanging out with Peyton while she worked. He didn't have to do anything at all, just sit there. He went out and got them lunch, and then the two of them had a long overdue one-on-one conversation. Things had been so crazy since the dual pregnancies that they hadn't had much time to hang out just the two of them.

After three horrible interviews in the morning, and one alright one that she still wasn't sold on, Peyton was starting to think that the perfect person just didn't exist. She was in the middle of playing an unsigned rapper's demo for Nathan to get his opinion, when a young woman, about 23, stepped confidently into the office.

"Hi," she said as she walked towards them, and Nathan turned down the music. "I'm Desiree. I know I'm kind of early."

"It's OK," Peyton said with a smile, shaking the girl's hand. "I'm Peyton, this is my brother-in-law Nathan. He's kind of my body guard for the day."

"Wow," Desiree laughed. "Not a bad gig. Get to listen to some cool hip hop and hang out in this awesome office."

Nathan smiled and threw Peyton a look, knowing by now, that comments like that we well appreciated by his friend. The two women sat down across from each other, and he stood from where he'd been sitting on the edge of Peyton's desk.

"Could be worse," Nathan said. "She could be in a bad mood, then it'd be torture."

"Nathan!" Peyton exclaimed with a laugh. "Don't scare her away!"

"Alright. I'll be over there reading about the financial state of the NBA," he said with a smile, nodding towards Peyton's newest potential employee.

"Well, I have your resumé, and it looks great," Peyton said, looking down at the professionally put together document in front of her. "I'll be honest, the rest of my interviews haven't been that great, so I'm a little jaded. I guess I'm just wondering why you want this job."

"I just love music. I always have. I want the opportunity to be a part of something that becomes someone's favourite thing, you know?" Desiree said. "I guess that sounds...confusing. I just mean, I want to have a hand in creating an album that changes someone's life. I want to hear a song and _know_ that it'll be someone's favourite song. And since I have no musical talent whatsoever, administration is pretty much the closest I'll get to that feeling."

"OK," Peyton said with a smile. Yeah, this was her girl, and she knew it already. "So tell me about your last job, Desiree."

"Oh, most people call me Des," she explained with a smile. "I interned at a radio station in Charlotte for a while, just learning the ins and outs of that before I moved here to be closer to the water. I figured it was either here or L.A., and here was closer."

"Trust me, you don't want to be in L.A.," Peyton warned as she laughed.

"Well, the job was great, and I learned a lot about playlists and charts and marketing," she explained. "I'd liaise with label reps and..."

"OK, you know what? It doesn't matter. You _so_ have the job," Peyton said, smiling because it was so obvious that this was the best candidate she'd seen. "Let's talk responsibilities. And when can you start?"

"Tomorrow too soon?" Des said with a smile.

"Can I go now?" Nathan asked from his place, watching as Peyton nodded. "Later, Sawyer. Nice to meet you Des."

"Nate!" Peyton called out when he was nearly at the door. "Can you tell Luke to get chips and salsa? But not the cheap kind! The good kind."

"I'm on it," he said with a laugh before sliding the door closed behind him.

"Chips and salsa is not nearly as weird a craving as my sister had when she was pregnant," Des said with a laugh. "She was all about the weirdest things. It'd make you sick to think about."

"Yeah, I haven't had any of that. But my husband's been to every grocery store in a 20 mile radius trying to find the specific things I want," Peyton said, smiling at the memory of Lucas stumbling through the door at midnight, triumphantly holding up organic chicken pesto pizza.

"So Nathan, he's...?"

"My husband's half-brother," Peyton explained. "And his wife, who is also pregnant, is my husband's best friend. Nathan and I used to date." She watched as Desiree's eyes went wide. "Yeah, you'll learn quickly that Tree Hill is....well, let's just say that relationships here are complicated."

"I can see that!"

The two spent the rest of the afternoon going over everything Desiree needed to know before officially starting work the next day. Peyton felt a sense of relief wash over her at the knowledge that she'd found someone who was actually qualified - maybe more than qualified - to help her.

----

A few nights later, after Peyton came home from work exhausted, Lucas had dinner ready and waiting for her, and they'd eaten together before she went into the bedroom and sat on the bed, notebook and sketchpad at her disposal.

He followed her into the room and was using pointless details of his day's practice to distract her from noticing that he wasn't doing the chore he should have been doing.

Lucas was an amazing husband, it was no secret. The one thing she hated was that he rarely did dishes. He claimed it was because he'd done so many dishes growing up, working in his mom's café, that he hated the task. She explained that no one _liked_ doing dishes, but that it wouldn't kill him to help her out.

"Babe, can you please do the dishes?" she begged after five minutes of idle chatter.

Busted.

"I will," he promised. "I just...I thought we could talk about names."

He was good. Of course, he'd use that as his excuse to skirt the duty, knowing she wouldn't be able to say no. The smile he saw on her face let him know that she was aware that he was playing her.

"OK. You have any ideas?" she asked, moving so she was sitting back against the pillows.

He just stared at her growing stomach for a moment, smiling for a few reasons. One, it was just so damned cute. Two, it was his child growing inside there. And three, he had no clue that his wife could get any more beautiful than he'd already thought she was, until now. Her skin glowed and her eyes were brighter and she carried the pregnancy well.

"Quit your staring. It's creepy," she scolded playfully.

"I'm sorry," he laughed. "You're just gorgeous."

"Stop it," she said, blushing. She loved him for this. There was never a day yet in this pregnancy that she felt anything less than beautiful. Well, not really. She'd had her moments of doubt, but they were erased relatively quickly. And it was all because of her husband.

"Never," he promised, leaning forward to kiss her.

"So, what are you thinking?" she asked, watching as he walked across the room.

They'd already settled on, if it was a boy, the middle name being Nathan . She'd questioned him on whether he'd like the middle name to be Keith, but he'd said that Keith's memory would remain just as strong if they didn't name their child after him. He hadn't said as much, but assumed that it would have just been another painful reminder of the man who was torn away from him so unceremoniously. She'd broach the subject again at a later date - though she didn't expect him to change his mind - but for now, she'd let it rest.

"Don't make fun of me, OK?" he started, grabbing a book from a bag on his desk. "I bought a baby name book."

"Oh, honey. You're such a dork," she teased lovingly, placing her hand on his cheek as he sat down next to her.

"I know. But I wanted us to be prepared," he said, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's smart," she conceded with a smile. "I have some ideas, I think."

"You do?" he asked curiously. She'd never mentioned anything about names. They'd barely talked about it, but she hadn't ever offered any suggestions.

"Of course. If I left it to you, our baby would be named Faulkner or Salinger or...Charles or something," she said, pulling a face that let him know in no uncertain terms that those weren't viable options.

"Well, I would have suggested Orwell, but I thought that was kind of far fetched," he teased.

"Not a chance," she insisted, making chuckle smile as he opened the book.

"How about," he drawled out, flipping the book to the page with the name he'd already had in mind. "Ben. Benjamin."

"Hmm. Benjamin Nathan Scott," she said softly. She thought about it for a moment before shaking her head in the negative. "Nope."

"What? Why?" he asked.

"Both names end with 'N'. It sounds weird," she shrugged.

"You are already taking this too seriously," he said, shaking his head.

"Says the guy who bought a book on the topic. Besides, this is our child's name, Luke! It's pretty much the most serious decision we can make," she explained, looking straight into his eyes. He just nodded. His wife was nothing if not convincing.

"What about Sophia?" he asked.

"You want to name our son Sophia?" Her tone was teasing, and it made him roll his eyes.

"If it's a girl, you goof," he reprimanded.

"I don't know," she said with a grimace.

"Come on! Little Sophie Scott!? How cute is that!?" he asked boyishly. She had never been able to say no to him when he acted like that. There was something in his tone when he got that excited that she just couldn't deny.

"Alright, it's pretty cute. What does it mean, though?"

"OK, you are at least this name _meaning_ stuff way too seriously," he said, shaking his head as he flipped to the page he needed. "It means _wisdom_. Sounds like my kid."

"What name means 'conceited jackass'?" she asked with her head tilted and her eyes narrowed.

"Hang on, I'm busy looking up 'evil wife'," he teased, earning him a slap on the arm. She glared at him and he just laughed.

"Sophie Scott," she said again quietly. "It does have a nice ring to it."

"I really like it," he smiled, happy that she agreed with him.

"What about middle names for girls?" she asked. "We can't choose between Haley and Brooke. Someone's going to be hurt."

"You're right," he nodded. "And if we use neither, they're going to ask questions about that, too."

"We are amazing friends, you know that?" she asked, turning her body to his completely. "_We_ are having a baby and we're worried about hurting our friends!"

"Well, we can just hope it's a boy," he laughed. "Then we won't have a problem."

"But we don't have first names for a boy!" she pointed out, exasperatedly.

"OK. I'm going to open this book to a random page and pick a name, and we'll discuss it. And we'll just do that until we find something we both like," he said. He fanned through the pages before opening the book again. "Landon."

"Ooo! Like A Walk To Remember!" she exclaimed dreamily, clasping her hands beneath her chin.

"No. Veto. No way," he said, shaking his head vigorously.

"Landon Nathan Scott!" she sang, using her best puppy dog eyes.

"Nope. We have the 'N' - 'N' problem. Not gonna work," he pointed out with a smug smile.

"Come on, baby. At least tell me what it means," she begged. She heard him sigh and it made her laugh at the effect she had on him.

"_From the long hill_," he read. "What does that even mean?"

"Long hill. Tree Hill," she said with a smile. "Come on! It's fitting!"

"Yeah, except I hate it," he pointed out. "He won't be a kick ass ball player with a name like _Landon_."

"I hate you right now, you know that?" she teased as she leaned forward to kiss him, realizing the action didn't support her words. He just laughed and flipped through the book again.

"Kingsley," he said, as he pondered the name. "Kingsley Nathan Scott."

"It's...not horrible," she said, as she too thought about it.

"_From the king's field_," he explained. "OK. Write that down. That's a maybe."

"Yeah," she smiled and nodded, jotting the name in her notebook. "A maybe. Come on. Another name, please, Mr. Scott."

"Isaac," he read. He said it as though it was the obvious choice they just hadn't found yet. He looked at her and her whole face lit up. That was their name. He knew it as soon as he looked at her.

"Isaac Nathan," she said. She didn't know why, but there was a tear pooling in her eye. That was all the proof she needed that it was perfect.

"I'd tell you what it means, but I don't think it matters," he said with a smile as he placed his hand on her knee.

"Not really," she laughed, intertwining her fingers with his. "But tell me anyway."

"_He will laugh_," he read. Her smile only grew bigger.

"That's all I want for him," she said, trying to keep her emotions in check.

"I love you," he said softly after noticing just what effect that decision had on her. Their son, if it was a son, had a name. He wiped away her tears and kissed her gently on the lips.

"Love you, too. Now...go do the dishes, please," she demanded. He groaned and she just laughed. She knew he'd hoped that she'd forget, but he simply wasn't that lucky.

He got up off their bed and made his way, reluctantly, to the kitchen. He knew he had to help, and that it wouldn't take that long to tidy up, he just really, really freaking hated doing dishes.

She sat alone on their bed, writing the name they'd chosen along with hers and Lucas'. She looked to the previous page in her book where they'd jotted down some girls' names. She still believed it was a boy, but she wanted them to be prepared in case, on the off chance, they did have a girl. Sophia Scott stared back at her, and she tapped her pencil as she tried to think of a middle name that might fit.

After about 20 minutes, he was just finishing the last of the pots they'd used for dinner, when he heard her calling frantically from the bedroom.

"Luke!" she shouted. "Lucas!"

"What!?" he asked worriedly as he rushed back into the room. The smile on her face put him at ease almost immediately. God, he hated when she did that to him.

"I have ideas!" she said excitedly.

"So you wanted to make me sick with worry by shouting like you were dying? Jeez, Peyton," he laughed as he sat on the edge of the bed. His heart rate was slowly returning to normal.

"Sorry," she laughed as she rubbed his back soothingly.

"Ideas for what?" he finally asked.

"Girly middle names," she said with a smile.

"Hit me," he said.

"OK. Rose is one. Kind of like Roe. Sophia Rose Scott," she said. She gave him only a moment to think before she said the next one. "And Bailey. Like a combination of Brooke and Haley."

"Are you serious?" he asked with a slight laugh.

"Dead serious," she said. "Sophia Bailey Scott."

"OK," he smiled. He'd teased her earlier, but he kind of loved that she was taking this so seriously.

"_OK_? That's it? Do you like it, though?" she asked.

"I think it's kind of perfect," he said with a nod. "Sophia Bailey or Isaac Nathan."

"Do you like it better than Rose?" she inquired. She needed to know exactly how he felt, and she was a little worried that he hadn't given it enough thought.

"We can save Rose for the next one," he smiled before standing again.

"Whoa. Wait. Next one?" she asked hurriedly.

"Next baby, yeah," he said nonchalantly as he continued into the kitchen.

"Hang on a second, there, Scott," she called as she got up as quickly as being 4 months pregnant would allow, and followed him. "Let's just have this one before we start thinking about more, OK?"

"I'm just saying!" he defended.

"Don't just say!" she said quickly. "Seriously. You should _not_ be looking that far into the future, OK?"

"Calm down, babe," he laughed. "You know what I meant. Hey, it's too bad we aren't having twins! If it were a boy and a girl, we..."

"Lucas Scott, if you know what's good for you, you will not finish that sentence," she scolded playfully, making him throw his hands up in surrender.

----

Nathan and Haley sat in bed after they'd tucked Jamie in, and Nathan noticed that Haley was off in her own world. Since the news they'd gotten at their first official appointment, they'd both been off in space, wondering how this happened to them.

"What's wrong?" he asked, shutting off the TV and turning to look at her.

"We have to tell people," she said, shaking her head. "I can't believe we haven't yet."

"You're the one who said you wanted to give ourselves time to get used to the idea," he said, in his own defense.

"I know. I can't believe they didn't notice that we showed them Jamie's sonogram and not this one," she said with a slight laugh, remembering the fear she felt when she handed her friends the same photo they'd already seen years before.

"Come on, all sonograms look the same," he pointed out, making her laugh again. "But I guess we do have to tell them. I mean, we can't very well wait until you're in labour."

"Well," she said. "We could. Can you imagine the looks on their faces? 'Surprise guys, we have twins!'"

"And if Luke has another heart attack, at least we'll be at the hospital," Nathan said, smirking as he watched his wife's expression change.

"Not so funny," she insisted.

"Come on, I was joking," he said, pulling her into his side.

"We should tell them this weekend at Brooke's," Haley suggested, letting herself get comfortable resting against her husband's chest. "Everyone'll be there."

"Yeah. Karen's coming in, right?" Nathan asked.

Haley just nodded and he could tell she was about to drift off to sleep, so he let her pull away and roll onto her side, wedging a pillow against her back. He kissed her goodnight and turned off the bedside lamp, but he lay awake for a while, thrilled and terrified and overwhelmed by the knowledge that they were going to have two babies to care for in just a number of months.

----

"Honestly Skills, you have to be the most insatiable man I've ever met," Brooke said with a laugh, pulling the blanket back over her body. He'd pulled it off her just moments earlier.

The two of them had holed up in Brooke's bedroom all day, talking and eating and sipping beer and, well, enjoying each other. She should have been at the store, but she slept in, and when he came over after his morning practice was done, he told her he wasn't going to let her leave that room all day. He kept his promise.

"You just called me Skills," he said as he left a trail of kisses on her shoulder.

"So?"

"So you never call me that," he pointed out, watching intently as she lay down on her back again. He was perched on his elbow and looking down into her perfect hazel eyes.

"I kind of like being the only one who calls you Antwon," she admitted quietly. "It makes me feel special."

"You are special," he said with a smile. It still amazed him that this incredible woman harboured any insecurities whatsoever. And if she'd let him, he'd spend as much time as possible trying to erase every doubt she ever had.

"I love you," she said softly, leaning up to kiss him. "And if you wanted to pull this blanket away again, now would be the time."

"Yes ma'am," he said with a smirk, swiftly pulling away the sheets and making her giggle.

Brooke wondered briefly if she'd ever been that happy; that in love. And when he kissed her again, she realized that she hadn't, but that it didn't matter because she had found that happiness that had eluded her for so long.

**----**

**A/N:** OK, so I hope no one freaks out about me using the name Sophia (you never know...people take this stuff seriously!). But I actually think Sophie Scott is an adorable name!


	12. A Saturday Out On The Town

Brooke was rushing around her house, making sure everything was set up for the crowd that was going to be arriving that afternoon, and trying to finish her third batch of cookies. The entire house was spotless, and she had tastefully decorated her dining room to compliment the mood she was trying to create. She realized that it was just her closes friends, but she loved hosting, and so she wanted everything to be perfect.

She was just pulling a tray of cookies out of the oven when Skills ran back into her house from the patio, where she had him setting up a few chairs. He was breathing erratically and he was bent over, resting his hands on his knees.

"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly, wiping her hands on her apron as she made her way over to him.

"You got some _huge_ squirrels around here, baby," he said with wide eyes, pointing to the door he'd just stumbled through.

"You're afraid of squirrels?" she asked with a laugh.

"They're like rats, only...only fluffier!" he pointed out as she went back into the kitchen, unable to keep herself from chuckling at her boyfriend.

"I just thought you were tougher than that," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

"I'm tough!" he insisted.

"Just not around animals of any sort?" she asked, putting a hand on her hip as she watched him steal a cookie off the plate on the counter.

"Exactly," he said with a nod, making them both laugh.

----

Peyton was just finishing getting ready, knowing that Karen, Andy and Lily were going to spend the morning with her and Lucas before the all went to Brooke's place in the afternoon.

She had just pulled her dress over her head when she heard Lucas call from the living room, telling her they'd be there soon.

"One minute!" she called back, trying to fix her hair at the same time she applied her mascara. It wasn't working.

"One minute of actual time? Or one minute of Peyton time?" he asked from the other side of the door. "Can I come in there yet, or what?"

She took one last look at herself in the mirror. She'd shut him out earlier, because she was wearing a new dress that Brooke had designed, and she didn't want him to see it until she was all put together. It was girly and silly, but she just wanted to see his face.

"OK. Come in," she said, moving away from the mirror.

"Finally...Oh wow," he said, frozen in place in the doorway.

The emerald green fabric, a comfortable cotton, clung to her in all the right places and showed off her adorable pregnant stomach perfectly. It had a halter neck and it showed just enough of her skin to be tasteful, and yet completely sexy.

"So you like it, then?" she asked with a knowing grin as she made her way towards him.

"You look so hot," he mumbled as he leaned in to kiss her. He rested his hands on her hips, and when he pulled away from her, he looked her up and down once more. "How did I end up with you?"

His tone was one of awe, as though he really had no idea, and it made her blush that he still worshipped her like she was the cheerleader and he was the bookworm.

"You're embarrassing me," she said softly, trying to turn away from his appreciative gaze.

He was just about to respond when there was a knock at the door, and they exchanged a glance. She knew how excited he was to see his family. They hadn't seen them in about two months, and Peyton wasn't even showing then. He'd explained to her that he just wanted everyone to know that she was carrying his child, and that his mother would no doubt cry when she saw her son's wife, visibly pregnant with her first grandchild.

They walked hand-in-hand to the front door, swung it open, and were greeted by three smiling faces. Lily wrapped herself around her brother's legs, and Karen pulled Peyton into a hug while Lucas shook Andy's hand.

"Look at you!" Karen exclaimed, pulling away to take in the sight of her daughter-in-law.

Lucas ushered everyone inside and they scattered around the living room to chat. He offered drinks, but no one took him up on his offer, so he sat next to Peyton and draped his arm over the back of the sofa as they all sat there.

"You look really beautiful, Peyton," Andy offered.

"Oh. Thanks," she said, trying to be polite, but to somehow shift the attention from her to something else.

"You do, Peyton," Lily added as she swung her legs, sitting in a chair that somehow made her look even smaller. "When's the baby gonna get here?"

"In June, Lil," Lucas said with a laugh.

"How are you feeling?" Karen asked. "You look healthy."

"Yeah, well your son here is kind of a stickler for playing this pregnancy by the book. All the best pre-natal vitamins, lots of protein, lots of liquids..."

"Ah yes, you've got to love going to the bathroom every 20 minutes," Karen said, laughing at the memory of both her pregnancies.

"It's kind of funny when we get both Haley and Peyton in the same place," Lucas said, raising an eyebrow as Peyton rolled her eyes. "It's pretty much a constant parade to the washroom."

"We both want to start doing pre-natal yoga, but we're not sure if it's the best idea. Pretty much our get togethers lately have been complaining and eating," Peyton explained, making everyone laugh again.

They all sat and talked a while longer, until Peyton needed a snack, and Lily wanted to go for a walk. Lucas and Andy took the girl outside, giving Karen and Peyton some time alone to talk, both me knowing that's what the women really wanted.

They stood in the kitchen, Peyton dipping her pieces of apple into a bowl of yogurt and taking occasional sips of water.

"So how are you, really?" Karen asked with a knowing smile.

"How'd you know I...?"

"Peyton," Karen admonished. "I know you. And I know pregnancy. So you don't have to put on a brave face."

"I'm terrified, Karen," Peyton said urgently, making the older woman smile. "I mean, the pregnancy stuff is fine, but what about after? We don't have a nursery. We don't have Godparents or anything. And I don't get maternity leave. We don't even have a car that holds a car seat!"

"Peyton, take a breath," Karen said soothingly, placing her hands on her daughter-in-law's arms. "You have almost four months to sort that all out. And Luke is off from June to September, he'll be around all the time to help you. In fact, he'll probably drive you crazy." Peyton let out a laugh, despite looking like she was about to cry.

"Thank you," she said softly.

"And you have me, and Haley, though she'll have her hands full. And Brooke's around," Karen continued. "You're going to be just fine. We wouldn't let you be anything _but_ fine."

----

As Lily ran ahead of them, Andy and Lucas took the opportunity to talk man-to-man. Karen had asked Andy to, if he got a chance, try to find out what was going on in Lucas' head.

"So, only about four months to go, huh?" Andy asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah. It's kind of flying by," Lucas said with a laugh, rubbing his hand on the back of his neck.

And Karen had told Andy that if her son did that, it meant he was feeling uneasy about something.

"Scared?" Andy inquired, smiling at how well Lucas' mother knew him.

"Out. Of. My. Mind," Lucas admitted. They both let out a laugh and Andy clapped Lucas on the back.

"You know, when your mom and I got back together, I realized I was taking on a 1 year old, too? And I swear, I had to breathe into a paper bag for an hour," Andy said with a smile. "But you get the hang of it, Luke. And Peyton's going to be a great mother. I can tell already."

"Oh, I'm not worried about Peyton," Lucas said quickly.

"Well, what are you worried about? You lived with Jamie for the first two years of his life," Andy asked, wondering where Lucas' insecurities were coming from.

"Being an uncle is way different than being a dad," Lucas pointed out.

"Try telling Keith that," Andy said, looking to Lucas pointedly.

Lucas could only nod at that statement, knowing Andy was right. And maybe he'd be OK. He'd been putting on such a brave face in front of Peyton, not wanting to scare her or give her anything to worry about, and it felt amazing to have gotten things off his chest.

And something inside him told him that his mother was probably doing the same thing for his wife.

----

As soon as they got to Brooke's, Lucas and Peyton knew the day was going to be a busy one. Stepping through the door, they heard laughter and teasing and happy voices, and when everyone saw Lily and Karen, there was a chorus of warm greetings and hugs and declarations of _I missed you_.

Lucas took the beer Skills handed him, and clinked his bottle with the rest of the mens'. Mouth was there, along with Nathan and Jamie. Mouth, nursing a broken heart after his breakup with Millicent, was ordered by Brooke to have a good time, and Skills was going to make sure there was no moping.

"Why don't we go outside and leave the girls to talk?" Nathan suggested.

"You know? I'm good in here," Skills said quickly, making Brooke burst into laughter and everyone look at the couple, wondering what the joke was.

"Squirrels," Brooke managed between her giggles. The entire room erupted into laughter, all knowing that the grown man before them was afraid of pretty much all animals.

"Seriously, dude?" Nathan laughed. "I'll protect you."

Nathan draped his arm around Skills' shoulder and the group of men went out onto the deck to sip their beers. It was too cool, really, to be outside, but it wasn't raining, and it was one of those rare winter days when the sun is actually shining and it gives you hope that spring isn't too far off.

They stood and talked sports and sipped beer and it was a rare conversation, for Lucas and Nathan anyway, that didn't revolve around babies or pregnancy or what would _'go really good on this sandwich'_.

The woman sat and stood around the kitchen, chatting about the exact thing that the men weren't. And after they'd talked about that, Karen grilled Brooke on her 'new' relationship, saying she could tell the younger woman had finally found something to hang onto, and that she was happy for her.

They all reconvened for lunch, and Nathan and Haley shared a look once everyone was seated.

"So we have news," Haley said abruptly, making everyone's attention shift to her.

"What news could you possibly have?" Brooke asked with a laugh. "It's not like you can get _more_ preg...Oh my God, it's TWINS!"

"It is," Haley confirmed, smiling as Nathan leaned in to kiss her temple.

"How does she do that?" Lucas asked, turning to Skills, who could only shrug his shoulders as he laughed.

"Twins?" Karen asked once again.

"We found out a few weeks ago, but we didn't know how to tell everyone!" Haley said excitedly.

"Wait, we saw your sonogram," Peyton pointed out, looking at Haley with a cocked eyebrow.

"We used Jamie's," Nathan admitted, shrugging his shoulder as he tossed a piece of lettuce into his mouth. "You guys didn't bother to notice the date on the top."

"I can't believe it!" Brooke proclaimed.

"Baby mania," Mouth added, as everyone congratulated Nathan and Haley, again.

There were many more questions about the twins and Haley and Nathan's state of mind surrounding that news, but Peyton noticed Brooke's attention wandering to the clock too many times to be 'nothing'.

"Brooke," Peyton called. "What are you waiting on? What's with the constant time checking?"

"I'm not! I'm just...punctual," Brooke said lamely, making her best friend raise her eyebrow. "I..."

Just then, the door opened, and in walked the one person Peyton had complained about not seeing since she'd found out she was pregnant.

"Derek!" she called out, standing from her place and running into his arms.

"Hey little sis," he said as he smiled. "Well, not so little sis."

"Shut up!" she cried as he pulled away to look at her.

Lucas stood and walked to her side, shaking his brother-in-law's hand. They hadn't seen Derek since the wedding, since his schedule was so regimented, and Peyton wondered how Brooke had convinced him to come to town for the day. She didn't doubt her best friend's powers of persuasion, however, and just glanced over her shoulder at the brunette who was smiling widely at the head of the table.

"Hey everyone. Miss Roe, it's great to see you," he said politely, taking the seat that Brooke had just set up for him.

"I've told you to call me Karen," the woman admonished, making him smile and nod.

"Hi Derek!" Lily cried, jumping onto the man's lap.

She'd taken to him immediately, for reasons no one really knew. They'd only met a handful of times, but Lily adored her half-brother-in-law, and insisted that he was one of her favourite people. And so, while everyone continued chatting about anything and everything, the girl sat on his lap and told stories about riding her bike, and where they last went on the boat, and how excited she was to meet the baby.

"OK boys. Get started on those dishes," Brooke demanded after everyone had finished eating.

"What? Why us?" Nathan asked incredulously.

"Because I cooked all day, and we've got two pregnant women, and one woman who took care of you and has earned the right not to have to clean," Brooke explained, pointing to herself, Peyton and Haley, and then Karen as she spoke.

"I hate dishes," Lucas muttered as he stood from his place and began clearing plates.

"Come on, Luke," Derek started, making his way to the sink with a handful of glasses. "Try cleaning a mess hall after 200 Marines have eaten dinner."

"OK, every time I'm around you, I feel completely inadequate," Nathan said with a laugh. "You're like, the toughest guy ever."

"Those twins'll toughen you up," Derek said, grinning as he began filling the sink with water.

"How'd you get him to come?" Peyton asked as the women moved to the living room to relax.

"I just told him he'd regret not seeing while you're pregnant," Brooke said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Brooke..."

"OK fine, I laid the world's biggest guilt trip on him, and asked why he couldn't spare just one little day for his only sister when she was pregnant and constantly talking about how much she missed him," Brooke said dramatically, no doubt reenacting the way she spoke to Derek on the phone.

"She really did say that I'd regret it, but I think she meant that she'd hunt me down if I didn't show up," Derek added from his place at the sink.

"Come on, man, you've endured military training and you're afraid of a girl?" Lucas teased.

"Oh trust me, Brooke Davis is more ruthless than any training could prepare a man for," Skills added, making his girlfriend's jaw drop.

Derek was excused from dish duty when Peyton suggested they go for a walk. Much to the chagrin of the other men, Brooke allowed it, and when they all groaned, she reminded them that there was beer in the fridge for when they finished.

Peyton and Derek set off down the quiet street, with her wrapped in her jacket and scarf and smiling, saying that she couldn't believe he was there.

"You really think I wouldn't come see you?" he asked with a grin. "It's just hard for me to get away, that's all."

"I know," she said with a nod. "I just miss you sometimes."

"I miss you, too, Sawyer," he said. "Or should I say _Scott_."

"Nathan still calls me Sawyer," she pointed out, laughing. "I'm sure it's OK if you do it."

"You look really happy, Peyton," he said after a few minutes of silence.

And that was the beauty of their relationship, and she wondered if it was his history of dealing with stoic marines, or if he could just read her well, or if they were the same way. But they didn't need to speak constantly. They were perfectly OK with enjoying each others' company without words, until one of them said something. It wasn't awkward or forced; it was just the way they were.

"I am happy," she admitted. "I mean, who would have thought Lucas and I would be married and having a baby?"

He looked at her pointedly and stopped walking, and when she looked back at him, they both said the same word.

"Everybody."

They both laughed because it was true, and the only people who _couldn't_ believe it were Peyton and Lucas.

"What about you?" she asked. "Anyone special?"

"Nah," he said, brushing off her comment. "Not many women are willing to jump into a relationship with a guy who could get called away at a moments' notice."

"Can I ask you a question?" she asked, and watched as he nodded. "Why do you do it, then? I mean, I know why you joined. I just keep wondering why you keep going back over there. I worry about you."

"You know how you feel about your friends?" he asked after a moment of contemplation. "You'd do anything for them and you're protective and maybe a little overbearing sometimes, if they need it. You'd give them anything they asked, right?" He watched as she nodded her head, wondering what he was getting at. "That's how I feel about every marine out there. I grew up alone, Peyton, and these guys became my brothers and sisters. I'm not going to let them go out there and do it alone. I'm going to be there when they need me. When they need a break or to talk to someone, or to cry on the shoulder of someone who understands."

"Are you trying to make a pregnant girl tear up, here?" she asked, laughing weakly as she dabbed at her eyes with one of the tissues she kept in her coat pocket 'just in case'.

"To be honest," he started. "I'd be more scared of doing what you're doing, than doing what I do."

"Oh come on," she scoffed. "You'd be a great dad. I know you're gonna be a great uncle."

"Uncle," he said in awe. "Wow."

"This conversation's getting really heavy," she laughed, making him smile. "Good thing we're almost back at Brooke's."

"Yeah, I actually have to get back to the base soon," he admitted. "I'll just come in and say goodbye to everyone, then I should hit the road."

"I'm really glad you came," Peyton said with a smile. "And I promise I'll keep you posted on everything."

"You better. That's my nephew in there," he said, grinning as he pointed to her stomach.

"I think it's a boy, too! Lucas is convinced it's a girl," she added.

"Well, I hope Lucas likes being wrong," Derek said, draping his arm around her as she laughed.

She made a note to thank Brooke for not only calling Derek, but for putting this entire day together, where all her favourite people, save for her dad, were all together in one place. She couldn't remember the last time they did that, but she wanted it to happen more often.

----

After all their goodbyes were said and everyone had left Brooke's house, Peyton convinced Lucas that it was still relatively early, and that they took a walk around their neighbourhood, talking about how nice it was to have everyone in the same place, and how crazy it was that Nathan and Haley were having twins.

Later, they were sitting comfortably in bed reading, as they were known to do, with her hand resting on top of her stomach, as it was known to do, and his hand resting just below hers, as it was known to do.

They were each lost in the words of their respective books, though he knew his Salinger word for word, and she knew her Scott word for word, and he would have teased her about it if he didn't know just how much his first novel meant to her. Plus, she looked really, really sexy with her hands turning the pages of his labour or love.

And that's when they felt it. Just one gentle, little tap, and they almost would have missed it if they hadn't both secretly been waiting for that moment. She looked up at him, and he looked down at her, and the smiles on their faces, they were sure, were the widest they'd ever had.

And one more kick, harder this time, had them both laughing at the little miracle. Their baby, the outcome of its parents' love, was booting away, as though he or she was greeting the two people who already loved it more than anything.

"Maybe he'll be a soccer player," Peyton laughed.

"The hell she will!" Lucas cried indignantly. He ran his hand gently over the bump on his wife's stomach, and began speaking to his child. "Right, baby? Because Scotts don't play soccer, we play basketball."

"OK, if he comes out and wants to play soccer, you _know_ you're not going to say no," she said, knowing they both knew it was true.

"No," Lucas conceded. "But she'll be a well-rounded athlete, and she'll at least humour her old dad with a game of 21 every now and again."

"Lucas, you're hardly old," Peyton scoffed.

"Oh, I'm sure any child of Peyton Sawyer's is going to give me a few gray hairs pretty quickly," he teased, laughing as her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide.

"You are such a jerk! And it's Scott," she corrected, twirling her wedding band with her thumb, knowing damn well that he loved it when she did that.

"My mistake," he said softly, leaning in to kiss her, and laughing once more when the baby kicked just as they'd parted.

"I think he likes you," she laughed.

"I think I love you," he said seriously. "Both."

She would have groaned if she hadn't wanted to cry at his sentimental side. But he kissed her again, and his hand reached up to caress her face, and then both books fell to the floor as they got caught up in each other. He tried to make a joke about her treating his novel that way, but she silenced him with a kiss, then told him to focus. He laughed because as usual, what she wanted, she got. She didn't need to tell him again.


	13. Every Day That Passes

Desiree had been working for Peyton for a month, and had quickly become invaluable to Peyton. The girl went above and beyond everything she was asked to do, and she was clever and funny. She and Lucas hit it off immediately. Of course, Lucas got along well with anyone who helped him spend more time with his wife. It had gotten to the point that Peyton could go to the office only when necessary, and still be sure that everything was going to get done.

She and Desiree were sifting through a stack of mail early in the afternoon, when Nathan, Haley, Brooke, Skills and Lucas walked through the door like they were on a mission. As it turned out, they were.

"Um...what's this?" Peyton asked skeptically.

"We're taking you hostage," Brooke said with a devilish grin.

Lucas walked around Peyton's desk and grabbed her things, tossing her phone into her purse and grabbing her jacket from the back of the chair.

"Should I call the police?" Desiree teased, making everyone laugh

"Seriously, what's going on?" Peyton repeated.

"Well, the boys don't have practice today, and Mrs. James Scott skipped work..." Brooke started.

"I called in sick!" Haley interrupted.

"Yeah, you're falling apart," Brooke scoffed sarcastically, rolling her eyes as they all laughed. "She's faking. _Anyway_, we've decided that we're taking a trip down memory lane, and your presence is required."

"Meaning...?" Peyton asked as she took her bag from Lucas and slipped on her coat as he held it out for her.

"Meaning, me, you and Brooke are going to go do something, and those three are going to go do something," Nathan explained.

"Well it's nice that you guys have all just decided that I can take the afternoon off work. What if I was busy?" Peyton asked incredulously.

"You're not!" Desiree said with a laugh. "Go. I'll lock up later and make sure the days' reports are on your desk so you can look at them first thing tomorrow."

"No excuses, babe. Let's go," Lucas said, placing his hand on the small of her back as they all left her office.

The couples said their goodbyes and Brooke, Peyton and Nathan got into Brooke's vehicle while Lucas drove Nathan's SUV with Haley and Skills as passengers.

"You know, a little heads up would have been appreciated," Peyton said, turning to see Nathan as he sat in the back seat.

"The ambush was more fun," he said with a shrug.

"Where are we going, anyway?" she asked.

"Where do you think?" Brooke asked, laughing, since she and Nathan had thought the answer would be obvious.

"The ice cream place at Wrightsville," Peyton said with a smile.

"Where else?" Nathan asked. "We practically lived there until...well, Lucas and Haley came along."

They drove the rest of the way, recalling some of their most memorable moments from within the walls of the little creamery. Days when they'd beg a parent to drive them, then walking and biking once they hit their early teens, then driving themselves once they were old enough. It had always been their meeting place. After parties or when one of them needed to vent and complain about parents or boys or basketball. There were tears spilled, harsh words spoken, and a lot of ice cream eaten.

Once they stepped inside, Brooke and Peyton gravitated towards their regular booth, the one they'd always taken when it was available. The initials _NPB_ were still etched in the top of the table, a mark they'd left when they were 15. That was the way it had always been - the girls would sit down and Nathan would go to the counter and get Brooke a chocolate milkshake, Peyton an ice cream sundae, and a strawberry banana shake for himself.

"God, when was the last time we even hung out?" Brooke asked as she played with the straw of the milkshake Nathan had just set in front of her.

"We hang out all the time," he pointed out.

"No, I mean just the three of us. Alone. No husbands or wives or kids or anything," Brooke clarified, watching as Peyton and Nathan exchanged a glance.

"I can't even remember," Peyton said with a sad smile. "That's pathetic!"

"It kind of is," Nathan agreed. "It used to be the three of us against it all. Or at least, the two of you against me, against it all."

"Well, maybe if you weren't such a dick..." Brooke started, before Nathan cut her off.

"Hey! I wasn't always a dick," he said, then they all laughed that he even had to say statements like that.

"It really was always the three of us, wasn't it?" Peyton asked, pulling the cherry off the top of her sundae just like she'd always done, and rolling her eyes when Brooke and Nathan noticed that fact. They used to make fun of her, asking why she didn't just ask for it without, but she never did, and Brooke always stole the cherry anyway.

"Since we were 10," Brooke said with a smile, reaching for the piece of bright red fruit.

"You remember that time we snuck into the beach house and decided to camp out in the living room?" Nathan asked. "We didn't tell anyone we were going and Larry got soooo mad."

"He said you kidnapped his baby," Brooke added.

"You did! I didn't want to go. You two made me, enticing me with the promise of Swedish Berries," Peyton said, narrowing her eyes at the less-than-pleasant memory. "There were _no_ Swedish Berries."

"Whatever. We had an awesome fort made out of sleeping bags, though," Nathan said proudly. "Until Brooke got mad that I wouldn't give her her own room and tore it all down."

Brooke just shrugged her shoulders innocently and smirked at the memory of the three of them, young and giggly, collapsing together amid pillows and polyester.

"That was the first time we really started looking out for each other though," Peyton pointed out. "Before then it was just me and Brooke, and we'd hang out with you on the playground. After that, we were pretty much inseparable."

"You remember when we all got sick in the 8th grade? And your dad was away so we all stayed at Nathan's place," Brooke asked, leaning forward and placing her elbows on the table in front of her.

"Thank God Dan was away," Nathan scoffed. "Mom was awesome though, huh? Set us all up in the spare bedroom on the king size bed. You know the worst part of that whole week?"

"What?" Brooke and Peyton asked in unison.

"That's when I started liking this one," Nathan said, pointing at Peyton and watching her blush. "And I was stuck in a bed with her and couldn't do anything about it."

"You were also vomiting pretty severely, there, Romeo," Brooke said, making both girls laugh.

"I was still your first kiss," he said proudly.

"Yeah," Brooke and Peyton both said.

"What?!" Peyton shouted. "You told me Rory Holmes was your first kiss!"

"Did I? Oops," Brooke said innocently, shrugging her shoulders and sipping her milkshake. She'd clearly mislead her best friend for years about that fact.

Peyton and Nathan shared a look, both wondering how it was that Brooke had kept that secret from her best friend for so many years.

"Wait, I was both of your first kisses? How awesome is that?" Nathan smiled.

"It just means you were kind of a slut, Nate," Peyton said seriously. Both women laughed at the wounded look on his face before each leaning in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Who was your first kiss, though?" Brooke asked, her tone suggesting that she wasn't going to make fun of him, she was just curious.

"Um...Peyton was," he admitted, fearing that he'd only make Brooke upset, not that he'd ever lead her to believe she was his first.

"Really?" Brooke asked, then pointed at her best friend. "Because you, missy, didn't tell me until after I told you I kissed Rory!"

"You wanted to have your kiss so bad! I didn't want to steal your thunder," Peyton explained, wincing as she waited for Brooke to fly off the handle.

"So you kissed when...like, middle of 8th grade?" Brooke asked, watching with wide eyes as Peyton and Nathan nodded.

"You two are serious secret keepers!" Nathan laughed. "I thought you told each other everything, which, I'm not gonna lie, was a little scary for me."

"Oh trust me, Nathan. I know things about you that you would probably never want to have repeated," Brooke said, raising her eyebrow mischievously.

"Noted. Remind me never to piss off Brooke," Nathan said, looking at Peyton, who was stifling a laugh.

"Sorry. Girls talk," Peyton said with a shrug of her shoulders as she spooned another bit of ice cream into her mouth.

"So where do you think our other halves went?" Nathan asked after the laughter subsided.

They all looked at each other, and said in unison, "River Court."

----

No one had even needed to ask where they were going before they ended up there. It was just a given that they'd end up at the one place that had always been a second home. It had seen heartaches and tears and a lot of firsts. The first time Nathan and Lucas ever really spoke was on that court. The first time Skills dunked the ball was on that old chain hoop. The game that changed it all was played there. And then it was the place where they all signed their names, all aware that everything was about to change again, but completely unsure of where their lives would take them.

These three were really happy that it brought them right back here, to this court, with the same friends.

"I can still remember the first day we came here," Haley mused as she lay on the grass on a blanket next to the old blacktop where the three of them had spent so much of their lives. "You two were so excited, so I was, too, because you were so happy."

"Keith brought us," Skills said. "What were we, 10? And we all shot around for the whole day. Except little Haley James, who read a book on the sidelines. Back before there were even picnic tables."

"I didn't really care about basketball," she pointed out.

"Until you hooked up with Nathan," Lucas laughed.

"So! Like you ever cared about...OK whatever, you and Peyton are like the same person," she said, before she could stop herself from saying the words. She knew he hated when people said that.

"She's hotter though, man," Skills said seriously, making them all nod their heads, then laugh.

"I remember one time, I had this huge fight with my sister, and my parents took her side," Haley started. "I went to Luke's place, but he wasn't there, so I figured he'd be here. The two of us just sat here till after dark, talking and laughing. I think that's when I started thinking of you as a brother."

"Hales," Lucas sang, slinging his arm around her and pulling her into his side.

"I'm serious. My own family was so messed up. I was the baby, and I just got lost in the shuffle. That was the night you and I promised we'd always be best friends," she said, unable to hide the tear forming in her eye.

"I had my first kiss here," Skills said proudly, moving on to a less sentimental topic.

"Me too," Lucas and Haley both said.

"Wait, you two...?"

"No!" they both said emphatically, looking at each other with wide eyes as Skills laughed at their eagerness to stop his thoughts from going any further.

"Ashleigh Lambert," Lucas informed them.

"Josh Larkin," Haley added.

"Rebecca Gill," Skills said.

"You kissed Rebecca Gill? Nice work, man," Lucas said appreciatively, bumping fists with his friend.

"Hate to burst your bubble, guys, but last I heard, Rebecca Gill was an exotic dancer at that sketchy place just outside of Raleigh," Haley said, barely able to contain her laugh. Lucas and Skills just shrugged their shoulders at that piece of information.

"You remember when I quit junior leagues?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah," Haley and Skills said in unison.

"I was on that team with Nathan, remember? And Dan was always there," Lucas started. "Mom couldn't even come to my games, and Keith told me that I didn't have to play on that team if I didn't want to. He said that no matter what, the River Court would always be here so I could play. He told me that the friends I made here would be the ones I had forever because we were all tied together through the game."

"He was right," Skills insisted. "Think about it. Me, you, Mouth, Junk, Fergie. Even Jimmy."

"And me!" Haley cried indignantly.

"And Haley," Skills added with a smile. "Sure we went on to wrack up some points in Varsity, and got some good records in college. But I don't think I've ever had as much fun playing as I have here on this court."

"Me neither," Lucas added.

"No pressure, no obligations. No crowd, except your friends," Haley mused, resting her head on Skills' shoulder as she spoke. "It's kind of amazing that we had this place."

They all smiled at each other, then, knowing the significance the space held for them all. Then the three of them got to talking about how much things had changed since they were young kids with nothing but books and basketball and best friends.

----

"I can still remember the day Nathan told me he wanted to date you," Brooke said to Peyton, watching as Nathan covered his eyes with is hand, wincing at the memory.

"Oh _really_," Peyton said, smiling as she bumped Nathan's shoulder.

"It was the same day he made varsity," Brooke explained. "He was so excited, you remember?"

"Yeah, because I'd finally done something I thought would make Dan proud. He just gave me a lecture about how much responsibility it was, and how mediocrity would get me nowhere," Nathan added. "Quite the pep-talk."

"But I got us a six pack and we went to my place because my parents were out of town," Brooke said with a smile, laughing at her 15-year-old self's ability to get alcohol.

"Wait, when did you get the time to tell her that you liked me?" Peyton asked, turning to Nathan. "We just sat in Brooke's room all night and ate pizza and talked."

"He couldn't take his eyes off you all night!" Brooke laughed. "You went to the bathroom and his gaze was pretty much fixed on your ass. I pulled it out of him."

"You always were an ass man," Peyton said, laughing as Nathan blushed and shook his head.

"But you said you hated me the next day," Nathan pointed out with a sad smile.

"Because you told me that 'real girls' threw themselves at you all the time, and my window of opportunity was closing!" Peyton said in a mocking tone, using air quotes to prove her point.

"Wow. I really _was_ a dick," he admitted shamefully.

"Yeah, you were," Brooke laughed. "And then that weekend, you hooked up with Taylor James, who as it turns out, is..."

"Haley's sister!" Peyton finished, laughing at their town's twisted relationships once again.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Nathan said, holding his hands up in defeat. "I still got you to agree to be my girlfriend."

"You know what was funny, though?" Peyton asked, turning in her chair to face him. "All you did was say 'be my girlfriend'. And when I asked you why, you said 'because I'm Nathan Scott.' And you gave me that damn smirk and I was under your spell."

"I'm surprised that's all it took," Brooke said seriously.

"So was I," Nathan laughed. "Trust me, that smirk didn't phase Haley. She called me on that pretty quickly, actually. Told me that all my 'bluster and bullshit' wouldn't work on her."

"Love at first sight, huh?" Peyton teased, making them all laugh again.

----

"You ever think how crazy it is that we are with the three people who were basically the most popular kids in school?" Lucas mused, looking towards his two oldest friends.

"Every day," Skills admitted.

"What's even crazier is that I can't really see it being any other way, you know?" Haley added. "I mean, can you imagine if Peyton and Nathan stayed together?"

"Don't want to," Lucas insisted adamantly, closing his eyes tightly at the thought.

"Or if you never joined the team?" Haley continued. "How different would everything be?"

"You'd still be lil Haley James, the bookworm, and me and Luke would be just River Court legends, not River Court legends and state champions."

"It's Luke and I," Haley corrected absently, making them all laugh.

"She'd probably still be a teacher," Lucas said to Skills, and they all nodded after trading glances.

"Oh, wow," Haley said abruptly, moving her hand to rest on the left side of her stomach.

"What is it? You OK?" Lucas asked frantically.

"Yeah. They're just kicking me really hard," she said with a laugh.

"Can I?" Lucas asked, holding out his hand to hover over her belly.

"Sure," she said, watching as his eyes lit up a the tapping against his hand. "You'd think you'd be used to this by now."

"It's amazing, though," he admitted. "I'll never get used to it."

"Quit your hogging," Skills complained, reaching over to feel the sensation for himself. His friends watched as his eyes went wide in awe. "Whoa."

Lucas and Haley could only laugh at his reaction.

"You and Brooke going to have any?" Haley asked, wiggling her eyebrows and smiling brightly.

"Damn, Haley, I'm already freaked out about _you_ two having babies," he said, clutching his heart and making them all laugh again.

----

"OK, little Scott here apparently loves ice cream sundaes," Peyton said with a laugh, resting her hand on her stomach.

"He's kicking?" Nathan asked with wide eyes, reaching out and resting his hand next to hers.

"Nate, you've felt babies kick before," Peyton laughed, shooting a smiling Brooke a wink.

"Yeah. But ours is like a little drumline. And besides, how often does my best friend have a baby?" he asked sheepishly.

"You and Skills should have one," Peyton said, looking at Brooke, who rolled her eyes.

"Please," Brooke scoffed. Both Nathan and Peyton shot her a look, both knowing full well how badly Brooke wanted children of her own, and they were sure she'd gotten that point across to Skills before they'd even gotten too serious.

"Brooke," Peyton said imploringly.

"OK fine! Our babies would be beautiful, alright? I know that!" she said exasperatedly, making both her friends burst into laughter. "Yes, I've thought about it."

"Of course you have, honey," Peyton said, reaching for Brooke's hand across the table.

Nathan just sat back in his chair and smiled at his two oldest friends, admiring the women they'd both become, and how far away all three of them were from where they started out. Peyton was going to be a mother. And Brooke was in love like he'd never seen her before, and smiling - genuinely happy - for the first time in a long time.

If the rest of his life was spent in company like this, with his wife and children and his closest friends, he'd be a happy, happy man.

----

Lucas was already home when Brooke dropped Peyton off. She said goodbye to her two oldest friends and told them not to laugh at the way she had to maneuver herself to get out of the car, which, of course, made them laugh.

She walked in the house with something on her mind, and she didn't want to waste any time telling him.

"Hey," he greeted her, standing from his place on the sofa to help her with her things. "Have fun?"

"Yeah. It was really great actually," she said with a smile. "So listen, I've been thinking, and I want Nathan and Haley to be Godparents."

"You do?" he asked with a wide smile. "Really?"

"Yes," she insisted, sitting down on the couch. she immediately put her legs so they were resting on his lap, and he began rubbing her feet. "I mean, Nathan's your brother and Haley's your best friend. But also, they're just balanced, you know? Like if our child needs any guidance, those are the two people who will help him. Brooke will spoil him rotten, for sure. I just feel like...Nathan and Haley are amazing parents, and...I just want them to be Godparents."

"You could have saved that explanation, babe," Lucas said, his smile still in place. "I was going to suggest it, but I didn't want you to think I was just writing Brooke off."

"No! Of course not," she said quickly. "Brooke can be Godmother to the next one."

Her eyes were closed and she was tired, and he could tell she hadn't meant to say it, but he still had to call her on it.

"Next one?" he asked with a cheeky grin. Her eyes shot open to look at him and then she shook her head.

"Yes. Next one," she finally said. "Because there'll probably be a next one."

"Probably," he said softly, lifting her legs so he could move to kneel next to her on the sofa. "I love you."

"Love you, too," she said with a smile. "How was the River Court?"

"You just assume we'd go there?" he asked, and she raised her eyebrow at him, as if to ask where else they'd have gone. "It was great. Reminded me how amazing my life has been."

"Good," Peyton said with a smile.

He could tell she was ready to get some sleep, so he took her hand and pulled her up off the couch, kissing her quickly before she went to the bathroom to get ready for bed.

"Hey Peyt?" he called down the hall to her as she stood at the sink brushing her teeth. "Who was your first kiss?"

She just smirked at him, shook her head and kicked the door shut, and he laughed because that gave him his answer even though she hadn't said a word.

----

"How was the River Court?" Nathan asked as he and Haley settled into bed.

"Good. Nostalgic. You should have seen me, though. It took both of them to get me up off the grass when we were leaving," Haley said as she smiled and rested her hand on her stomach.

"Good. The bigger you get, the healthier they are," Nathan said, recalling the first time he said something similar to that, and her retort that he just wanted his son to be able to dunk. And Jamie was getting close...

"You think they're boys?" she asked as he turned out the light.

"Knowing the Scott genes? Probably. But I hope one is a girl," he said quietly, leaning in to kiss her shoulder as she lay with her back to him.

"I kind of hope so, too," she admitted.

They lay in the quiet for a while before he spoke again.

"Haley?"

"Yeah?" she asked through the yawn she was trying to suppress.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?" she inquired, barely able to keep her eyes open.

"Everything."

----

Brooke was already sleeping when Skills let himself into her house. He'd had to go to his place to get clean clothes after his day with Haley and Lucas. He locked the door behind him and walked quietly up to her bedroom. He hadn't intended on waking her, but he just had to. And it didn't take much; as soon as he sat next to her on the bed, she stirred and smiled up at him.

"Hi," she said sleepily, watching as he pulled a white gerbera daisy out from behind his back.

"Hi," he said, dipping down to kiss her as she took the flower from him.

"What's this?" she asked, taking the stem of the flower between her fingers.

"You trust me?"

"Of course," she said, propping herself up on her elbow, wondering what he was getting at.

"Let's move in together."


	14. She's the Voice I Love to Hear

Towards the end of her sixth month, Peyton started staying home more and more. She would pop into the office once a day or so, and put in full days when necessary, but she was really enjoying being home with Lucas. He would complain about not getting any writing done, but of course, he wasn't serious.

She stood in the doorway of the room that would be the nursery, her sketchpad in her hands, chewing on the end of a pencil. Lucas was at practice until later in the morning, so she took the opportunity to plan out what she wanted the room to look like. They'd talked about it briefly, and she already had her eye on a crib, change table, and dresser.

When Lucas got home from his practice, he found her sitting at the kitchen table, various sketches of the room and coloured pencils scattered around her.

"Why does it look like you're an interior designer and not a label president?" he asked, leaning down to kiss her forehead.

"I can't get it right, Luke," she said as he reached for a glass from the cupboard and moved to the fridge.

"What? The nursery?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah. I can't decide on a colour or...anything. I've tried zoo animals, basketball, bugs..." she started.

"Bugs?" he asked, raising his brow as he sat across from her at the table.

"Yea. Cute bugs. Not like, creepy spiders or anything," she explained, cringing at even the thought of it. "But until I decide on a colour, I can't decide on anything else."

"Well, if someone hadn't wanted to keep the sex of the baby a secret, then we wouldn't have this problem, would we?" he asked with a grin.

They had gone for their second ultrasound, and decided after a talk with Nathan and Haley, that they wanted it to be a surprise. Nathan and Haley had decided the same thing, so they were all in the dark about what three little people would be born in a couple months' time. Luke hadn't been crazy about the idea. He was just far too excited and wanted to buy things, but not knowing if it was a boy or a girl was hindering that. He couldn't complain too much, however, because they both knew that it didn't really matter as long as the baby was healthy, as cliché as that was. You realize, when you're expecting, that it's true.

"I know, but I just want it to be cute and...I want it to suit him," she said, watching as he raised his brow. "_Or her_."

"What about green?" he asked, grabbing one of her coloured pencils and holding it out to her. "Like this kind of green."

"Lucas Scott!" she cried, smiling brightly. "Have I ever told you that you're a genius?"

"No, but I always suspected that's what you thought," he said, standing, and walking over to kiss her.

"And humble, too. How'd I get so lucky?" she asked sarcastically.

"It helps that you're sexy," he said softly, leaning down to speak into her ear as he stood behind her.

"You're gonna get yourself into trouble, talking like that," she warned, taking a deep breath as he planted kisses to the side of her neck.

"You wanna get into trouble with me?" he asked, running his hands up and down her arms.

Her attempts to resist him were failing, as usual. Lucas was nothing if not persistent, and really, she could never deny him. She always wanted him, but the pregnancy and hormones had them spending even more time than usual 'together'. Their friends hadn't failed to notice, and teased them about it relentlessly.

She stood up and wrapped her arms around him, and he leaned in to press his lips to hers, but she pulled away after only a few moments.

"I should really try to do this." She would have gestured to the unfinished sketches on the table, but she just didn't want to remove her arms from around him.

"Do that later," he whined. "Do me now."

"Charming, Luke, really," she said, shaking her head. She couldn't hide her smile.

"Did it work?" he asked, moving in to kiss her again.

"Absolutely," she admitted, pushing him towards the bedroom as he laughed.

----

The next day, Lucas was ordered to paint the nursery while Peyton spent the day at the office, then they were to meet up for dinner at Nathan and Haley's while he let the house air out.

He looked at the job before him, wondering just how he was going to get it all done on his own. He'd had the good sense to tape the trim the night before, but it still felt like a huge undertaking.

He was in an old pair of jeans and a plain white tee shirt, listening to some old mix CDs his wife had insisted he listen to while painting. He'd just finished one wall, took a deep breath, and then heard a voice from behind him.

"Nice work, big brother," Nathan said, nodding appreciatively.

Lucas noticed immediately that Nathan was holding a roller in his hand, seemingly ready to get to work. He watched as his brother started on the wall adjacent to the one he was standing in front of, and the two had a long overdue one-on-one conversation.

"So where's your head at with this whole twins thing?" Lucas asked, turning to look at Nathan over his shoulder.

"Probably the same place yours is at the thought of having one," Nathan explained.

"So, terrified? Feel like you might just throw up any second?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah, sounds about right," Nathan said with a laugh. "Honestly, I don't know how Haley's so calm."

"She's already a mom," Lucas pointed out. "She knows how to do the baby thing."

"So do I!" Nathan cried indignantly. "I just don't know how to do the _two_ baby thing."

"Ah, you'll be fine," Lucas insisted. "The two of you are like, the best tag team ever."

"Speaking of awesome parents, Peyton's been a rock star, huh?" Nathan said, dipping his roller in paint again.

"Amazing," Lucas concurred. "The first few months, I think she was really scared, you know? Wondering how everything would go."

"Yeah, gotta love that Peyton Sawyer Drama," Nathan laughed. "It's like she's always waiting for something to go wrong."

"Exactly," Lucas said, smiling because they both knew it was the truth. "But things have been good. I know she's been talking to my mom a lot, and Haley's been great with her."

"Yeah, those two are like two peas in a pod right now," Nathan laughed.

The two were quiet for a while, with just the sound of the music filling the room, echoing off the walls.

Nathan had never liked painting. When he was a kid, maybe 13, his mother repainted her office at their old house and recruited his help. He spent two days painstakingly brushing eggshell paint on the crown molding with her, listening to her go on and on about things he couldn't have cared less about as a bratty teenager.

But somehow, now, standing with his brother in the room that would be his niece or nephew's, there was something calming about the task. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was almost a feeling of growing up, or getting older or wiser, or just peace.

"You know what's crazy?" Lucas asked, turning to face his brother.

"What's that?" Nathan inquired.

"Our kids are going to be exactly the same age. It's just kind of like...I mean, you and I are so close in age, and now our kids are going to get to grow up together," Lucas mused.

"Yeah," Nathan said with a smile. "Maybe they can do some of the things we never got to do." Lucas just nodded, happy that Nathan understood, then the brunette started speaking again. "Look, man, I know we don't really do this much, I mean talk about our feelings or whatever...But I hope you know how glad I am that you're my brother."

"Me too, Nate," Lucas agreed, smiling genuinely. "Hard to believe we ever _didn't_ get along, you know?"

"I know," Nathan said somberly, but his smile stayed in place. "OK. I feel like we need to talk about sports or something, now."

"What, painting a nursery and talking about our feelings isn't manly enough for ya?" Lucas joked.

----

Peyton burst through the door of Nathan and Haley's house, without knocking, as usual, around 4:30 after leaving the office. She was surprisingly energetic considering she'd been insanely busy at work that day, on the phone or in the studio.

"Hey!" Haley called as she saw her friend walking into the kitchen.

"Hey hot stuff," Peyton chided, making Haley look at her incredulously before glancing down at her stomach.

It had been a major point of contention that Haley was so much bigger than Peyton, especially since she was actually a few weeks behind her. She didn't want to complain, but sometimes it was hard to bite her tongue. Luckily, when she said anything to Peyton, they could both turn their frustration into a mutual thing, and start talking about how they were envious of Brooke.

"Hey aunt Peyton," Jamie called from the living room, where he was sitting and drawing.

"Hey short stack," she shouted back. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, because she was always coming up with new nicknames for him. But they both loved it, and it had become their 'thing.'

"Where's your husband?" Peyton asked as she hoisted herself onto the stool next to Haley, both of them making faces in silent acknowledgment that it was no longer an easy task.

"Helping your husband," Haley said with a smile.

"Really?" Peyton asked excitedly. "That's so cute!"

"I kind of made him," Haley admitted, laughing as she recalled the conversation she had with Nathan that morning. "I figure Lucas helped us so much with Jamie for those couple years, the least Nathan could do was help paint."

"Wow. I wonder what else we could guilt trip him into doing?" Peyton asked seriously.

"Oh trust me, I'm working on it," Haley said, wiggling her eyebrows mischievously. "Oh! I have a pre-dinner treat for us!"

Haley stood from her place and made her way to the fridge, pulling out a tub of vanilla ice cream and two bottles of root beer.

"No way! I love you!" Peyton exclaimed happily.

"Hey Jamie, you want a root beer float?" Haley called, and both women watched the boy's eyes light up as he ran towards the kitchen.

"Before dinner?" he asked tentatively.

"Yes. But don't tell your father," she said seriously, making Peyton laugh.

"Nice parenting," she teased, and Haley just shrugged her shoulders as she started spooning ice cream into tall glasses.

The three of them sat at the counter, with Jamie between the two women, slurping away at their treats when the Scott brothers walked into the house.

"Well, well," Nathan said with a raised eyebrow. "Looks like someone's breaking the rules."

"Oh calm down, daddy. It's just a little snack," Peyton joked. That was all it took for Nathan to snatch her treat away from her, making her squeal in protest. She watched as he took a taste.

"Oh my God. That's disgusting," he said, grimacing as he handed her glass back to her.

"It is not!" Haley cried indignantly.

"It's good, dad," Jamie concurred. "You're just mad because mama let me have a snack before dinner and she always yells at you not to let me."

"It's just funny that mom can break the rules and I can't," Nathan said, staring at Haley pointedly.

"Relax," she panned, waving off his statement. "Dinner will be ready in a half hour."

"You're evil," Nathan said, shaking his head. "You're lucky I'm too tired from painting to really fight you on this."

"How does it look?" Peyton asked excitedly as Lucas walked over to kiss her temple.

"It looks great," he insisted. "Perfect colour."

"Good," she sighed. "Thank you, Nathan, for helping."

"Least I could do," he said, looking at Haley as he mocked her words from that morning.

"Hey, we wanted to talk to you guys about something," Lucas said abruptly, shifting everyone's attention. "Peyton and I have talked about this, and we were wondering if you guys would be our baby's Godparents."

"Are you serious?" Nathan asked with a smile as Haley jumped off her stool and ran into Lucas' arms.

"We're serious," Peyton smiled. Nathan walked over and pulled her into a hug as well.

"Is that a yes?" Lucas asked, still with his arms full of Haley.

"Yes!" she cried. "We'd be honoured."

"Did you really think we'd pick anyone else?" Lucas asked, finally able to hug his brother as Haley wrapped her arms around Peyton. Well, as well as two pregnant women can hug.

"No, we knew you'd ask us," Nathan said with a smile. Haley's mouth gaped and she swatted his arm. "What? It's true!"

"We were going to ask you to be ours, too," Haley said sincerely.

"Really?" Peyton asked, tears already welling in her eyes. "Ugh, there is a reason you don't ask a pregnant woman this!"

"We'd love to," Lucas answered for his wife as he wrapped his arm around her in an attempt to stop her tears.

"Brooke's going to be pissed," Nathan said.

"Daddy said a bad word!" Jamie exclaimed.

"Yes, he did," Haley scolded, looking at Nathan disapprovingly. "But she is _not_ going to be happy."

"Three babies and not one Godmother nomination?" Lucas said. "We may need to flee the country."

"She's my Godmother," Jamie pointed out innocently.

The four adults looked at each other and thought, maybe knew, that that was enough for her. For now.

----

As soon as they got home that night, Peyton went straight to the nursery to check out her husband's handy work. She raced down the hall as Lucas laughed, because he'd fully expected her to do that very thing. He saw the light flicker on and when he joined her, she was standing in the middle of the room with a smile on her face.

"Nice work, Mr. Scott," she said when she saw him.

"Why thank you," he said with a laugh as he wrapped his arm around her.

"I love this colour. It's so perfect," she admitted happily. It was a light green, officially called 'Moss' according to the paint sample they'd looked at before they purchased it.

"I'm glad you like it. It felt like you," he said with a smile, admiring the finished room. Well, mostly finished room. He didn't doubt that she'd decorate it beautifully and insist on the best furniture. He kind of loved her for that.

"Felt like me?" she asked, smirking as she turned to him.

"Yeah. Green has always reminded me of you, no matter what. It seemed fitting," he said softly, weaving his fingers in with hers.

"You're quite a romantic, you know that?" she asked before leaning in to kiss him.

"Yeah," he said with a shrug, making her swat his arm. "Come on. Let's get some sleep."

Lucas woke up in the middle of the night and found the bed next to him cold. Panic immediately set in, as it always did, and when he looked at the clock and saw that it was 3:00 am and she wasn't anywhere in the room, his heart rate didn't slow down. He got out of bed and opened the door to step out into the hall, noticing the light on in the nursery.

He walked to the door and found Peyton sitting on some cushions in the middle of the room with her sketch pad in her hand. He leaned against the doorway as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. She didn't notice he was there, though he hadn't exactly made an effort to sneak up on her. He just knew how she was when she was focused. She basically had tunnel vision and could drown out anything around her; he was the same way when he wrote.

"Hey," he said softly, his voice thick with sleep.

"Oh!" she said, snapping her head around to look at him. "Hi."

"What are you doing? I was worried," he admitted, stepping into the room and sitting next to her.

"I didn't want to wake you," she said, placing her hand on his thigh. He was only in boxers, and the sight of his bare torso and his mussed hair was kind of making her heart race. "I just woke up and had an idea."

She handed the sketch book to him to show what she'd been working on, and she heard him let out a breath that was close to a chuckle.

"Stripes," he observed, smiling down at the drawing of a finished nursery. "I love it."

He turned to her and looked in her eyes and saw that sparkle that he was so used to seeing. Happiness, pride, love, hope, wonder. He loved that sparkle almost as much as he loved the woman who carried it.

"God, this is all so crazy," she sighed out, shaking her head.

"What is?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer to his side.

"Us. Together and having a baby," she clarified. "Sitting in an empty nursery at three in the morning. I just...I love our life."

He could only shake his head at that. It was all true. It was crazy. If you'd asked him as a teenager, when he only dreamed of even _talking_ to Peyton Sawyer, if he would end up married to her, he would have laughed in your face. And yet, there he was, looking down at her hand and the ring he'd placed on it, as it rested on her stomach.

"I love it, too," he admitted softly, pressing a kiss to her hair.

"You know, any time I get scared or nervous about being a mother, I just picture you with our baby, and it all goes away," she said, pulling away to look at him. "It's like I know we'll figure it out, and I know you'll be amazing. Just...knowing that you're going to be an incredible dad puts me at ease."

"Peyton," he said in a whisper.

"I'm sorry. I know I'm all sentimental," she said with a laugh.

"I love you," he said, unable to hide his smile. "I can't wait to see you hold our baby for the first time. You're going to be the best mom."

"Ugh," she groaned and shook her head. "Are you trying to make me cry?"

"You started it," he pointed out playfully, reaching out to caress her cheek. "Come on. Let's go back to bed."

He stood and held out his hand for her to take, and helped her up off the floor. He went to step out of the room, but she tugged him back towards her and pulled him into a searing kiss.

"Mmm," he moaned just before he pulled away. "You're starting to make me think I don't satisfy you well enough. Is that why you want sex more often?"

"Oh, it's not that," she growled. "Just the opposite."

"You're the one with all the right words tonight," he informed her, leaning in to kiss her again.

"I don't need you to talk," she said with a raised brow, pushing his chest and making him walk backwards towards the door.

"You're gonna kill me, saying things like that," he muttered.

"I'm serious, Luke. Stop talking," she demanded, slipping her hand below the waistband of his shorts as they walked.

Not talking wouldn't be a problem; any words he would have liked to say completely flew out of his head, and all that existed was the two of them.


	15. A Cuss Word 'Cause it's Monday

**A/N:** OK, so I am not one of those authors that begs for reviews and tells you I'll only post if I get a certain number. But, the reviews for this are way down and I'm worried that people are totally losing interest. I just finished writing this, and it's complete at 20 chapters.

So, if you want to hit me with a review just to let me know you're still around, that'd be awesome. But if not, that's OK too. I'm also not one of those authors who abandons fics, so the whole thing will be posted no matter what.

Maybe the cliffhanger at the end of this chapter will prompt people to leave me opinions...haha!

**----**

Peyton was almost in her eighth month, and they were 99 per cent prepared for the baby to arrive. And no one was more anxious than Peyton. The weather was turning warmer and that meant that she was constantly hot. She'd turned up the air conditioning in the house and positioned a fan to be pointed directly at her so she could sleep at night. It was quite a contrast, with Lucas in pants and tee shirt and the blankets up around his chin, and her in shorts and a tank top laying on top of the covers.

The one thing they hadn't done was gotten a car, and when Peyton woke one morning and padded out to the kitchen, she knew she had to bring it up once again. She was in only a tank top and a pair of black cotton shorts that didn't quite meet in the middle over her stomach, and Lucas smiled widely when he saw her walk into the room as she pulled her hair up.

"Stop it," she demanded, in response to the look he was giving her.

"If you just wore that all the time, I'd be totally OK with it," he admitted, leaning down to kiss her temple as she sat at the table. He set a plate of breakfast in front of her and she glared at him.

"You have no idea how happy I'll be to wear my own clothes again," she said, biting into a piece of toast.

"That makes one of us. Trust me, Peyt, this look is totally working for me," he said, his voice low as he leaned back against the counter, cradling a mug of coffee in his hands.

"Put some ice on it, Casanova. It's already way too hot," she scolded, making him laugh.

"Going in to the office today?" he asked after a moment. He pulled out the chair next to her and sat down.

"No. Desiree has everything under control and no one's recording today, so I can stay here and just check in every once in a while," she explained. "Can I have some juice?"

"Sure thing," he said with a smile, shooting up to grant her request.

Lucas was always attentive, and there was no reason she couldn't have gotten things for herself, but as soon as she hit 7 months, he became insistent that she not overdo it. Basically, what that meant was any time she went to do anything, he scowled at her and told her to just accept his help. After a while, she just gave in and stopped arguing. They were both too stubborn to back down, and she didn't want to be waited on hand and foot, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Baby, we need to talk about the car situation," she said calmly, watching as he poured.

"I'm not giving up the Mustang," he said with finality, looking over to her.

"I didn't ask you to. I _wouldn't_ ask you to." She raised her hands defensively. "We've talked about that. We're keeping both our cars, we just need to get something that's a little more family-friendly."

"Not a minivan. Peyton, I can't drive a minivan," he warned, sitting back down.

"Oh my God! I didn't say I wanted you to be Mr. Mom," she laughed before taking a sip of her drink.

"Well, why don't we head out to some dealerships this afternoon? I'm thinking Lexus, Land Rover, BMW..."

"OK, honey, I know that I usually handle the finances, but you have to know that we don't have that kind of money," she said with a grin.

"Please. I know how to work a car salesman," Lucas promised with a confident nod.

"You're aware that every man who's ever gone car shopping has said those exact same words," she teased.

"But I worked at a dealership," he said, pouting at her lack of faith in him.

"Why don't you take Nate?" she asked.

"What? No. You need to be comfortable driving whatever we get, too," he insisted.

"Lucas," she whined. "That means I have to get dressed in real clothes and actually look good."

"Baby, you do look good," he said with a smile, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "But yeah, you would need to change."

"Lucas!" she shouted, dropping her jaw as he gave her another once over.

"What!? People would be staring at you and I don't want to have to punch anyone," he said, smirking. "You really don't understand how sexy pregnancy is."

"You've told me about a million times. I just feel completely huge and gross right now, Luke. And I really don't feel like leaving the house. I just want to stay here in the A/C and not have to worry about how I look or who sees me like this," she explained quickly.

He would have laughed, but her current mood told him that unless he wanted to have his head bitten off, he should probably not. Instead, he took a deep breath and nodded.

"OK. I'll go today, narrow it down to a few options, and then when you're feeling up to it, we can go together and make the final choice," he suggested hopefully.

"That sounds perfect," she said with a smile, leaning in to kiss him quickly.

Just then, the phone rang, and Peyton moved to get up and answer it, but Lucas shot her a reprimanding look and she rolled her eyes and stayed put while he answered.

"Hello?...Oh...yeah, sure...No, we'll be here, but I'm going out later...Alright...Yup, see ya."

"What was that about?" Peyton asked with a furrowed brow.

"It was Haley. Apparently she and Nathan are coming over, and Brooke and Skills are meeting them here, too," he said nonchalantly.

"Why?" she asked.

"I don't know. I guess Brooke wanted us all together," he shrugged.

"At 7:30 on a Monday morning?" she said skeptically.

"I'm just the messenger, here, Peyt. I know nothing more than what I just told you," he explained.

"Dammit. Does this mean I have to change?" she asked in annoyance.

"You don't have to," he said with a smirk. "But it might not be the worst idea to put on a bra or something."

"Shut up!" she squealed, swatting at his arm as her other hand rested on her stomach. "He is kicking so hard right now. He doesn't like when daddy talks mean to mommy."

Lucas stopped laughing and just smiled at her. She'd been saying things like that since the baby first started moving, but every time she called him 'daddy', his heart swelled and it became all the more real to him. He was going to be a _daddy_.

"Well, maybe if mommy wasn't trying to make daddy crazy..."

"Don't finish that thought," she warned with a raised brow, making him laugh again. "I'll change. Happy?"

"Not really," he admitted with a smile, making her roll her eyes as she stood.

"Ugh. If I'm not out in a half hour, I've given up," she called on her way back to the bedroom.

Lucas tidied the kitchen and living room while she got ready. Their house was full of 'supplies'. Diapers and clothes and toys that had been gifts from various people. They'd been pretty good about putting everything away in its proper place in the nursery, but Lucas' colleagues had given them a bunch of gifts the day before.

He was just walking down the hall with an armful of things when Peyton opened the door and emerged, fully clothed and put together. She had on a simple empire waist tank top and jeans, with her hair pulled up, but he still stopped in his tracks and checked her out unabashedly.

"Stop it!" she insisted with a laugh for the second time that morning.

"You look nice," he called over his shoulder as he headed to the nursery.

"Thank you," she answered.

She had just walked into the living room when Nathan and Haley stepped through the door, and Haley and Peyton both made a bee-line for the sofa to sit. Nathan stifled a laugh and they both glared at him.

"You want anything to drink?" he asked, to atone for his reaction to their need to sit.

"Water would be great, actually," Peyton said with a smile, and Haley nodded.

Lucas was coming down the hall and Nathan widened his eyes, letting him know that both women were in fine form already.

"Hey Hales," he greeted, leaning down to kiss his friend's cheek.

"Hi," she muttered. Nathan entered the room and both women sent him genuine smiles while they took their glasses from him.

"So what's with the pow wow?" Peyton asked.

"I have no idea. Brooke just called last night and told us to meet them here this morning," Haley explained. "I've been trying to get in touch with her for a couple days and she finally called me back."

"Well this better be good, because I fully intended on sitting around in my pajamas and doing as little as possible all day," Peyton said, throwing a glance to her smiling husband.

"Well, I have to be at work in a half hour, so it better be good, and it better be quick," Haley said bitterly.

"Sorry," Peyton said sympathetically.

She felt bad for Haley, having to go to work every day and deal with teenagers while pregnant and tired. But her maternity leave didn't start for another month, and though Peyton was really happy to be able to pick and choose when she went to the office, she tried not to flaunt that in her friend's face.

The door swung open again, and Skills and Brooke walked in to see the two couples in front of them, sitting comfortably (well, mostly comfortably) while they waited.

"Hi," Brooke chirped happily.

"Hey," came a chorus of voices.

"We have news!" Brooke said, taking Skills' hand as they walked further into the room.

"You got MARRIED!" Peyton and Haley shrieked as their eyes went wide, only growing wider when Brooke nodded and held up her left hand as Skills laughed.

"How do they _do_ that!?" Lucas asked, completely in awe of these three womens' connection.

"Wait, what?" Nathan asked with a slight laugh, a big, goofy, totally shocked smile on his face.

"You've only been dating for what? 8 months?!" Haley exclaimed.

"How did you...how did this even happen?" Lucas asked.

"We love each other," Skills said, his eyes meeting his new bride's, and smiled back at him. "We decided to make it official."

"This is _insane_, you know that right?" Nathan said before standing and pulling his friend into a manly hug.

"Sure, says the guy who got married in high school," Brooke laughed, putting her arms around Nathan.

"Brooke," Peyton said softly, failing in her attempt not to cry. "I can't believe it. And I can't believe you stiffed me out of being maid of honour."

Brooke stepped over towards her two best friends and sat on the coffee table in front of them, taking each of their hands.

"I thought you loved weddings," Haley said, herself starting to cry as the men all shot each other looks. "I just never...never saw you getting married without the perfect day."

"It was the perfect day," Brooke admitted softly, letting her own tears fall. "It's not about the wedding."

The other two women could only smile, because they'd been waiting for the day, the relationship, the man, who would make her see that. And she finally had him, and they knew then that he was 'the one'.

"Congratulations," Peyton said, smiling as she squeezed her best friend's hand. "Can you wait till I pop out this kid and have my body back before you have any kind of celebration?"

They all laughed at that statement, and then there were questions on how and where and when the decision was made. As it turned out, the two had traveled to New York for the weekend at the last minute and gotten married at City Hall that Friday, spending the rest of their weekend in a fancy hotel and enjoying the city together. The girls talked about what Brooke wore, and where they got the rings, and just about everything they could in the short amount of time before Haley announced that she had to get to work.

Nathan offered one last congratulations to his friends, kissed Brooke and Peyton on the cheek, and left with his wife. As soon as the door was closed behind her and she was in the car, she started to cry again.

"Haley," Nathan said comfortingly, reaching for her hand.

"I'm sorry. It's just...all my best friends are so happy and it's...we're growing up," she blubbered.

"I know," he said softly, smiling as he wiped her tears. "It's pretty great. But you might want to turn off the waterworks before your first period English class."

She reached across and swatted his arm before resting her head against his shoulder. She let out a contented sigh and rest her hand on her stomach, and felt a few little kicks, and smiled at how happy everyone she knew truly was.

Inside the house, Lucas had handed the girls a box of tissues and he and Skills settled into the kitchen table to talk. After an hour, Brooke said she and Skills had to go to his parents' house, where she was sure his mother was going to be less than impressed that her son had gotten married so quietly.

They said their goodbyes and Lucas joined Peyton on the sofa and took her hand as she shook her head.

"Never a dull moment in Tree Hill," Lucas said. "You OK?"

"Why wouldn't I be?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders. He just looked at her with a raised brow to let her know that she wasn't fooling him with the nonchalant attitude.

"Because your best friend just got married in secret, and you're 8 months pregnant and already pretty emotional and...yeah, that's all," he said with a smirk, watching as she cracked a smile.

"I'm really happy for her," she said softly.

"I know you are," he said, rubbing his hand over her back.

"I just wish I could have been there," she admitted. "I should have been there. And I know it's silly to make this about me because it's _so_ not about me, but..."

"Peyton, you don't need to explain it to me," he said, leaning over to kiss her temple and pull her closer. "I know you."

"Yeah, you do," she said quietly. She let out a breath and stood up, sending an appreciative glance to him when he helped her. "Well, since I'm dressed, I think I'm gonna go to the office."

"Why don't you come car shopping with me?" he asked.

"Because I kind of just don't want to go?" she said sweetly, scrunching her nose and making him laugh.

"Come on. We'll go now, and I can drop you off at the office," he pleaded. "This is a big decision that we should make together."

She mulled it over for a moment, then sighed dramatically and rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse.

"Let's go, Mr. Persuasive," she said as she opened the door and looked back at him, waiting for him to get up off the couch.

He sensed their conversation about Brooke's sudden marriage should have been a little longer, and that there was something more that she hadn't said. Perhaps he shouldn't have interrupted her when she was trying to explain why she was upset, but she was rambling, and if he'd let her go on, she would have become incoherent.

So he followed her out the door and into the car, and he asked her if she wanted to talk about it more, but she insisted she was fine. Given her mood that morning, he decided to drop it.

----

Four hours and a bunch of test drives later, Lucas was driving Peyton to the office after they'd decided on the car they'd buy, and it would be ready for pickup in a week's time. Well, it was an SUV. Lucas was sold when the salesperson explained that it was the safest model on the road and had all sorts of crash testing and high ratings and good scores. Peyton just thought it looked nice and was a good size and was comfortable to drive. But the salesperson was the one problem she had.

"I can't believe we just bought a car from that ass," she said bitterly.

"Are you still mad about that?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as he turned to look at her.

"Lucas, what the hell is wrong with men?" she asked, but didn't give him a chance to answer. "Seriously. He said that I was about to '_explode_', and looked at you like he pitied you or something!"

"Come on," he said calmly. "You know it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks."

"It matters to me," she pouted. "I already feel like people stare at me everywhere I go, Luke."

"Baby, the only one staring at you is me, and trust me, it's not in a bad way," he assured her, resting his hand on her thigh and giving it a squeeze as he smirked. He parked the car and turned to her. "What time do you want me to pick you up?"

"I dunno. Like, 4:00, I guess," she mumbled.

"Peyton," he said softly, forcing her to look at him. "You're beautiful. And you don't have to work today if you don't want to."

"But I should," she said with a smile. She wasn't sure how he did it, but this man was able to take two simple words and make her feel like he'd written a(nother) novel about her. Two words and she felt like herself again.

"OK, well call me if you want to come home early. I'll be there all day," he insisted. She leaned over to kiss him quickly and then he watched her walk up the steps towards her office.

Peyton walked into her office and was greeted immediately by her assistant, though she felt bad for calling her that, since Desiree did far more work than any assistant would.

"Hey! I thought you weren't coming in today," she said, standing from her desk and walking towards her 'boss'. "Uh oh. What's with the face?"

Since they'd started working together, the two of them had shared a lot. Desiree now knew all the twisted history of their circle of friends and as much of the towns' relationships as Peyton could reveal, and Peyton knew about Desiree's past boyfriends, including one botched proposal, a guy she caught in bed with her roommate, and an older man who turned out to be married, only he didn't tell her until 6 months into their relationship. To say they trusted and could read each other was an understatement.

"Nothing," Peyton said, doing her best to sound convincing. Desiree wasn't buying it, and raised an eyebrow. "OK, well, Brooke and Skills eloped in New York this weekend, I weigh a thousand pounds and people are afraid of me, Lucas and I just bought a car, and now I feel like...that feeling you get when you know the money was well spent but you didn't want to spend it. And God, is it like, 100 degrees in here, or is it just me?"

Desiree wanted to laugh, because that spiel was actually hilarious to probably everyone but the woman who'd spoken it. But she couldn't laugh. She valued her life.

"It's you, but I'll turn up the A/C," she said with a smile, watching as Peyton took a seat at her own desk. She followed her and sat across from her. "So your best friend got married? That's amazing, and I'm sure she'll have some sort of party that you will go to and have a wonderful time. You look great, although, I'll admit, Angry Peyton can be a little scary. You needed the car, and you've been talking about it for as long as I've known you, so don't worry about that. Did I cover everything?"

Peyton laughed, because she realized how silly she was being, and it took only one long spiel for her to realize it.

"Yeah, that's it," she said with a smile. "So, what are you working on?"

The two of them settled into an afternoon of mostly menial administrative stuff; sending back demos, working on a mailing list, coming up with a few ideas for concert tee shirts. It was about 3:00 when Desiree announced that she needed her afternoon caffeine and headed out to the coffee shop around the corner.

Peyton had gotten up to change the CD that had just ended, and felt a pain in her side. Her hand instinctively moved to the spot, but the discomfort passed and she didn't think much of it. She was almost back to her desk when another pain hit, worse this time and it lasted longer. Something was definitely wrong. She was doubled over and bracing herself against her desk with her arm and clutching her stomach with her free hand when Desiree walked back in.

"Peyton!" she said hurriedly. "Are you OK?"

She rushed over and placed her hand on Peyton's back and noticed the scared look on her face, and had no idea what to do.

"Call Lucas," she said weakly as she winced in pain.


	16. I Want a Piece of Chocolate

When Lucas' phone rang, Desiree's frantic voice on the other end of the line made his world stop. He felt like he was going to cry, though he didn't really know what was going on.

All Lucas heard were the words _Peyton_, _pain_, and _hospital_. Nothing else registered. Nothing else made any sense. None of it made sense, really. He'd just seen her a few hours before, and she was fine. Maybe a little moody, but otherwise fine.

His car took him to the hospital, but he barely remembered the drive. He didn't remember turning the key or pulling into the parking lot. Everything between his house and the emergency room was pretty much a complete blur.

He ran through the sliding doors, just barely waiting for them to open enough to slip through, and hurried to the admissions desk.

"Peyton Scott. My wife. She's here. She's supposed to be here," he said frantically.

"Mr. Scott," the nurse said calmly, hoping to soothe him as she looked down at the papers in front of her. "She's in maternity. Room 542."

"Thank you," he said with a nod before racing off toward the nearest elevator.

He stepped through the metal doors after what felt like the longest elevator ride in history, and saw Desiree in the waiting room.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking down the hall.

"I don't know. They won't tell me anything. She just told me to call you," Desiree said worriedly. She pointed to the left of where they were standing, indicating the direction he needed to head. "542."

He offered her a nod as a silent thank you for being there, and rushed towards the room. He stepped inside and saw Peyton laying in a bed, in a hospital gown, with one arm over her head and a monitor hooked up to her index finger. There was an IV of something or other dripping away next to her.

"Luke," she said in relief.

"Peyton, what's going on? Are you OK? Is the baby OK?" he asked as he took her hand in his and kissed her forehead.

"We're both OK," she said, letting her tears slip down her cheeks. "I was so scared. I'm sorry."

She was lucky enough that her own doctor was on call, and hadn't wasted any time in checking that everything was really alright. She had performed a quick ultrasound, careful to ensure that Peyton couldn't see the sex of the baby, as requested, and she'd deemed both mother and baby alright.

He hugged her as best he could with her laying in a hospital bed, but he was just so relieved to hear her say that things were fine. And he wanted to soothe her. He had always hated to see her cry, but this was somehow different, though he wasn't really sure why. This made him want to cry, too.

"Don't say you're sorry," he insisted, brushing her hair back off her forehead.

"The doctor's coming back in a minute. She said something about Braxton Hicks," she explained, looking up at him as the worry started to dissipate from his features.

"OK," he sighed. "OK. We read about that, right? It's normal. It's normal."

"Lucas," she said with a weak laugh. "You better tone this stuff down when the real thing happens."

"Don't joke," he said seriously. "I was...I didn't know what was going on."

"Me neither," she admitted, reaching up to caress his face. The plastic monitor that was on her index finger hit his cheekbone and she watched as he winced. "Oh! I'm so sorry!"

"Stop it," he insisted, smiling down at her. Leave it to her to be laying in a hospital bed, and worrying about _him_. "Are you sure you're OK? I mean, what does this mean?"

Just then, Dr. Heymans walked through the door to see the couple before her. She had a chart in her hands and a smile on her face, and Lucas took that as a good sign.

"Mr. Scott, hi," she greeted. "How many traffic violations did you make on the way over?"

He loved their doctor and her ability to put everyone at ease. She wouldn't have made jokes if there was something to worry about.

"More than you want to know," he admitted with a grin.

"Well, everything looks OK here," she said, opening the chart once again. "Heartbeats are normal and development is fine."

"Thank God," Lucas sighed, stroking Peyton's knuckles with his thumb.

"But your blood pressure is just a little bit high, and you shouldn't be experiencing Braxton Hicks this late in the game, so that's a bit of a worry. It's most likely stress related, in addition to your body getting ready to have this baby," Dr. Heymans explained. "But we don't want that happening for at least another month, if we can help it."

"So what does this mean?" Peyton asked.

"This means that you are going on bed rest, and before you argue..."

"She won't be arguing," Lucas interrupted, looking between his wife and the doctor. "Bed rest it is."

"Well, good," Dr. Heymans said with a smile.

"So what exactly can I do? And how long do I have to be stuck in bed?" Peyton asked.

"Well, you can start by having a positive attitude," she said, making both herself and Lucas laugh. "I'll give you some information on what activities you can and can't do. And I'm putting you on bed rest indefinitely."

"If that's what's necessary, then it won't be a problem," Peyton conceded. "Lucas barely lets me do anything anyway."

She smirked up at him and he just grinned sheepishly as he shook his head.

"Well, no working. I met your coworker in the waiting room, and I'm sure she'll be more than happy to take on a heavier load," Dr. Heymans explained.

They spent another little while talking about the restrictions Peyton would be put under, and she didn't complain. If she had to sacrifice her every day life to keep her baby safe and healthy, then there was really no question about it. She knew what she had to do.

She got dressed once again, and Lucas went out into the waiting area to fill Desiree in as they waited for Peyton.

"Des," he called, making her shoot up out of her seat. "Everything's fine. Just stress. But she's on bed rest now."

"Thank God everything's OK," she sighed, placing her hand over her heart.

"Yeah," Lucas laughed. "I'm sure you'll be getting phone calls with her complaining about it. She can't work or anything."

"That's fine," Desiree said with a smile. "I'm totally prepared to take over for her while she's off anyway. Just came a little sooner than expected, right?"

"Exactly," Lucas agreed. "And thanks for bringing her in. I'm sure that was pretty scary."

"Oh my God. Horrible," she admitted hurriedly. "I was scared, but I didn't want her to be scared, so I was trying not to freak out, but you know her. If you're being sweet, she thinks you're patronizing her."

"Oh, I know," he laughed. "I'm married to her."

"Talking about me?" Peyton asked with a smirk as she exited the room.

"Nope," Lucas lied, smiling at her sweetly as he took her bag from her. "Come on. Let's get you home."

They walked out into the parking lot slowly, as Lucas had explained he wasn't going to take any risks, and they thanked Desiree again for her help.

"Look, I'll call you tomorrow about the..." Peyton started.

"No," Desiree said with finality. "No working. No calling me for anything other than quickly checking in. You rest and keep that little girl in there for as long as you can."

"I think it's a girl, too!" Lucas exclaimed with a wide smile.

"It's totally a girl. Just the way she's carrying, and her mood swings and..."

"OK, _you_ can be fired, and _you_ can be divorced, so if _you_ don't leave, and _you_ don't help me into the car, I'll never speak to either of you again," Peyton said with a raised eyebrow and an amused smirk, pointing at each of them at the appropriate times. "And if either of you says anything about mood swings right now, you _won't_ live to regret it."

"Alright, preggo, I'll call you if I need anything. And I'll stop by and see you soon," Desiree said before saying goodbye to Lucas and making her way to her own car.

Lucas was quiet as soon as they got into the car, and he was gripping the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles were going white. After ten minutes of silence, she couldn't take it any more.

"Luke," Peyton said softly. She didn't need to say anything more, and he'd know she was asking him to tell her what he was thinking.

"That was the scariest call I've ever gotten," he admitted solemnly. "I thought I could..."

"Lucas, everything is fine," she assured him. "I mean, other than the whole bed rest thing, but I think that just sounds worse than it'll actually be."

"I was just worried that something horrible was going to happen. I mean, with my mom's pregnancy with Lily and..."

"Hey," she said softly. "We're fine. We're both fine."

"I know. I just...I can't lose you," he whispered as the pulled into the driveway of their house.

"You're not going to," she insisted adamantly. "I'm going to be right there, in that bed, for the next like, 6 weeks."

"Peyton..." He knew she was trying to lighten the mood by joking, but he wasn't sure that was what he needed.

"I know," she interrupted. "But I need you to stop worrying, because I hate seeing you like this."

"I'm never going to stop worrying about you," he said with a smile before getting out of the car and running to the other side to open her door for her.

"Well, now you can pretty much keep an eye on me day and night," she muttered under her breath.

"Where's that positive attitude?" he asked with a laugh.

"That was an act for the doctor. I'm not used to just sitting around."

He knew she was right, and that the next 6 weeks would probably test both of their patience, but there was no doubt that they both knew it was necessary and would try to make the best of it.

"Well, we'll just have people come and keep you company. Then you won't get sick of me, and I won't drive you crazy," he said, smirking as he pushed open the door to their bedroom and ushered her inside.

"I could never get sick of you," she insisted, smiling sweetly as she pulled a pair of pajama pants and an old band tee shirt from a drawer. He leaned in to kiss her and then started out of the room.

"What do you want for dinner?" he asked.

"Pizza! And those breadstick things I love," she called excitedly. She heard him laugh at the familiar request, but he couldn't complain because she was there and she was fine, and he'd give her anything she needed to keep her that way.

She pulled on her pajamas and laid back in bed, reaching for the television remote and settling in. She got comfortable quickly, and started to think, when a new episode of her favourite show came on, that maybe bed rest wouldn't be so bad after all.

----

After a week, Peyton was completely miserable. She had cabin fever and she was cranky and uncomfortable, and all she wanted to do was get up and move. But she couldn't. Aside from light activity and a slow walk around her own house a few times a day, she was confined to the bedroom, watching lame daytime television and vapid interviews of Hollywood stars she couldn't care less about.

She'd sketched, she'd worked in secret, coming up with a few ideas for marketing campaigns and tour posters. She'd alphabetized Karen's old recipe box - the one they barely ever used. She'd read two full novels. She'd listened to all her favourite albums countless times.

And it had only been a week.

Lucas was at practice and he had left a pitcher of ice water next to the bed, along with some light snacks in case she got hungry while he was out. He'd really been very sweet, and she appreciated everything he was doing, but she was still going absolutely insane.

So she started making a list, a rider. It was a list of all the things she needed, or wanted, that would help her mind and body as she was cooped up in their bed. She wanted new pillows, and lots of them. Her back would cramp and her legs would cramp, and so she wanted supportive pillows. She made a list of the books she wanted to read, but they didn't own. The same went for albums and DVDs.

She was just finishing her list of demands when there was a knock at the door. She could see the shadow well enough to know that it was Nathan, and when she looked at the clock, she wondered where Lucas was and why Nathan was there instead of her husband. He walked in without being called, because that's what he always did.

"Hey Sawyer," he greeted happily, sitting down on the be next to her. "I brought cinnamon buns."

"Looove youuuu," she sang, smiling as he handed her the sticky treat. "Extra icing! You're the best."

He laughed as he watched her take a bite, and he wondered what Lucas had been talking about. She seemed to be in a good mood to him.

"So how's it going?" he asked.

"Better, now that I have something so tasty," she admitted.

"And cinnamon buns, too," he teased, making her roll her eyes at him. "Luke got called in to a meeting with the athletic department. I thought I'd stop by and hang out."

"Alright. When's he coming home?" she asked with a mouthful of food.

"Not till 2:00-ish. Why? Miss him?" he asked, smiling as he moved and settled onto the bed next to her, in 'Lucas' Spot' and poured them each a glass of water.

"He's driving me crazy," she admitted hurriedly, making Nathan laugh. "I mean...I love him, but seriously? He's obsessive."

"Not surprising at all," he said. "He was already pretty protective. He always has been."

"I know. But I don't need him to like, straighten out my tee shirt for me, you know?" she asked with a laugh.

"Speaking of...Tar Heels?" he asked incredulously, glancing down at the shirt she was wearing. Everyone who knew Nathan knew that hew as a Duke man.

It was Lucas' favourite old item of clothing, but she'd quickly stolen it and adopted it as her own, even before she was pregnant. And he wouldn't complain because she looked great in it, and the way it sat on her stomach just gave him hope that his baby would grow up with great taste in basketball teams.

"It's Luke's," she shrugged.

"Well, I have something else for you," he said, smiling as he reached into his bag and produced a tee shirt.

He'd seen her a few days prior, and she'd been wearing an old Ravens tee shirt - one that he recognized was his and promptly made fun of her for still having. He'd threatened to tell Lucas who that shirt had originally belonged to, but she said that he already knew.

He tossed the new blue fabric towards her, and she wiped her hands and held it up. The front had the Ravens logo, and the back had her (their) last name and the number 22.

"Nathan!" she cried. "This is awesome!"

"Haley and Brooke have them, too. I got 'em made special just for you girls," he said proudly.

"Wow. We all married Ravens," she said, as though it had just hit her.

"Lucky girls," Nathan said, wiggling his eyebrows. She swatted his arm as he laughed. "I also found a bunch of old game footage from senior year. Thought you might want to take a trip down memory lane with me."

"As long as we don't stumble upon another sex tape, I think that sounds great," she teased, elbowing him as he winced at the mention of his indiscretion.

The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon laughing, and Nathan would rewind all the plays he dubbed the best, and point out all the intricacies. She'd point out how sexy Lucas looked in his uniform, making Nathan groan his disgust. Then they'd catch glimpses of those three cheerleaders on the sidelines, and they'd laugh at their 'spirit' and the things that had and hadn't changed in the years since high school.

Lucas walked through the door that afternoon to see Peyton laying on her side with her head resting on Nathan's thigh as she slept peacefully. He still had the remote in his hand and was going over plays and writing down a few that he thought they should try with their team. Lucas could only laugh at the sight. It never ceased to amaze him how close-knit their group of friends was.

"Hey," Nathan said softly. "She's been out for about an hour."

"How's your leg?" Lucas asked with a grin.

"Killing me," Nathan admitted.

"You could have moved her," the blonde said, sitting on the bed next to his wife and brushing the hair from her face.

"Ah, it's alright," Nathan said, smiling down at her. "But I should get home and do some stuff before Haley gets home from work."

He lifted Peyton's head gently and Lucas slipped a pillow beneath it, and they shared a smile at their teamwork. Nathan gathered his things and slipped out the door after saying goodbye.

Lucas' phone was on vibrate, but when it went off, Peyton stirred and wiped her eyes, smiling sleepily when she saw him sitting on the bed.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, ignoring the call.

"It's OK," she insisted, sitting up and moving back to rest against the pillows. "Where's Nathan?"

"He just left. You slept through our entire conversation and being moved, but you woke up when my cell rang?" he asked with a smirk. She could only shrug in response. He picked up the notepad that was sitting on the bedside table and began reading. "What's this?"

"A list of demands," she explained. "Things to keep me occupied and content."

"Individually wrapped peanut butter cups? Lindt truffles?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Back to the Future I, II, and III?"

"Yes. There's a list of albums and DVDs I'd like. And extra pillows, two kinds of ice cream, Granny Smith apples..." she began, peering over his arm. "Oh, and that really good vanilla yogurt I love."

"And if I don't get all this stuff?" he asked with a smirk.

"Are you really sure you want to risk that?" she threatened. He just laughed and leaned in to kiss her.

"I'll go after work tomorrow," he promised, getting up from his spot.

"Hey Luke," she called sweetly as he stepped into the hall. "You think I could...?"

"You're not going anywhere," he shouted insistently. "Get comfortable, blondie."

"You're mean!" she yelled.

"Only 'cause I love ya!"

She crossed her arms and pouted, and felt a little kick against her arms, and had to smile.

"I know, baby," she said, rubbing her stomach. "I want to move, too. But daddy's being a drill sergeant and making me stay here. I guess it's for the best, since you need to stay in there. So you better get comfortable, too, OK? Because I need you to be healthy when you come meet us."

She leaned back on the pillows and took a sip of water before talking again.

"You know, your daddy wants you to have green eyes like mommy, but I think you should have blue eyes like him. Trust me, the girls love them. I bet you're going to be just like him, your dad. You'll probably come out holding a book or a basketball."

"Peyt," Lucas said softly from the doorway, smiling the way he always did when he was feeling sentimental.

"Oh," she said sheepishly, feeling the blush creep to her cheeks. "Yeah...we um...we talk sometimes."

"You're adorable," he whispered, walking towards her and sitting next to her on the bed. He leaned in to kiss her, then her belly, making her smile. "If it's a girl, I'm starting to think she better _not_ have your eyes."

"What?" she cried indignantly. "Why?"

"Because those things are like, magnets to all men," he said with a laugh. "I'm serious. I don't want her with that weapon in her arsenal."

"Whatever, as if piercing blue eyes like her daddy would be any better," she scoffed. "You really want a blonde haired, blue eyed girl to look after in about 16 years?"

"Oh God," he said, running his hand over his face. "We really didn't think this through."

"Seriously, Luke, you're going to be even more protective over her than you are over me, and that is a scary thought," Peyton laughed.

"I think this is the first time I've really, _really_ wished it was a boy," he said with a smirk.

"You hear that, baby?" Peyton asked excitedly, looking down at her stomach. "Daddy wants you to be a boy, too! I told you mommy always wins."

Lucas just laughed again and leaned in to kiss her once more. He didn't think he'd be able to handle it if he were any luckier.

"Now," she said, looking at Lucas again, "go find me some chocolate and you'll really make me the happiest woman in the world."

"Chocolate?" he teased, standing from his place. "That's all it takes?"

"Pretty much," she shrugged, watching as he shook his head while he walked out of the room. He came back in moments later with a bar of her favourite dark chocolate in his hand, and she smiled.

She took it from him and saw him sit down at his desk and open his laptop. She took a bite and let the chocolate melt in her mouth, and let out a satisfied moan.

"Happy?" he asked with a smile.

"You, and him, and chocolate," she said sincerely, resting her hand over her stomach once more. "That's all it takes."

**----**

**A/N:** OK, now I feel like a jerk for telling you to review, since so many of you took the time to do it. I know, I'm a weirdo. But thank you all so much for letting me know that you are still reading! I really do appreciate you taking the time to let me know your thoughts. And yes, I did post this chapter so quickly because I felt guilty for acting like a bit of a baby!


	17. The Giver I Wish I Could Be

Another week of bed rest, and Peyton had come to terms with laying around and doing nothing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. She'd had visitors and people come stay with her for a couple hours each day, just to break up the time. She was convinced that Lucas had set up a schedule among their friends, because, suspiciously, someone was always there in time to prepare her lunch if Lucas wasn't home.

Andy had come one day, and the two of them talked business and strategy for the label, though they both promised never to tell Lucas they'd talked about work.

Karen had come by and the older woman told Peyton all about what to expect during the first months of motherhood; what things she'd want to freak out about but weren't a big deal. Lily had spent another day watching Disney movies and talking to the baby.

Haley had stopped by, only to chat for about 20 minutes before both women fell asleep, making their husbands laugh when they walked into the room and found the two very pregnant women curled up in bed.

Mouth, Junk, and Fergie brought photographs of their group when they were all young. The three of them, plus Lucas, Haley, and Skills doing various childish activities, captured in photos that made Peyton laugh.

It was a Friday morning and Peyton was sitting atop the covers in just a tank top and shorts, reading the newspaper. She'd taken to doing the crossword, and Lucas would have made fun of her for it, but she got so excited the first time that she completed one on her own, that he just didn't have the heart to.

"Peyton," Brooke said with a sniffle as she stepped into the room. She knew that Lucas was at the school, so that's why she'd chosen that time to show up.

"Brooke what's wrong?" Peyton asked worriedly upon seeing those tear stained cheeks. She put down her pen and the paper and pat the space next to her, indicating to her friend to sit down.

"I'm just..." Brooke started as she sat. "I'm a bad wife!"

"What?" Peyton asked, doing her best not to laugh. "What are you talking about?"

"I can't...I'm so bad at this," Brooke blubbered, letting Peyton take her hand.

"Why do you think you're a bad wife?" Peyton asked calmly. She knew Brooke, and this was clearly a vast overreaction, but she didn't want to be patronizing or insensitive to her feelings.

"I...Last night I wanted to make dinner, so I made something that I thought was really nice," she managed, calming just enough to talk. "But the dessert I made had almonds in it."

"OK?" Peyton said sweetly, encouraging Brooke to continue. She reached for a tissue and handed it over.

"He's allergic to almonds. I didn't know that! I'm his wife and I didn't know that!" Brooke exclaimed. "And then this morning, I was getting ready and he said he'd never seen these jeans before."

"OK...so he's observant," Peyton said. She really didn't understand what Brooke was so worked up over.

"I wear these jeans all the time! At least once every couple weeks! And he's never seen them," Brooke cried, a new batch of tears working their way down her cheeks. "So then I just start thinking, what if we rushed into this!? What if this is all too soon? What if I am just really bad at this no matter what?"

"OK," Peyton said, calmly smiling before taking a deep breath. "You know when I moved in here, I had no idea that Lucas has different shelves for different types of literature?"

"That's ridiculous!" Brooke said, letting out a laugh as she dabbed her eyes.

"I know. He has one for American authors, another for European, and another for...something else that I _still_ don't really understand," Peyton explained. "I still learn things about Lucas all the time that I had no clue about. But you know what? I think that's the best part of being married. That element of surprise. How boring would it be if you never learned anything more about Skills than what you know right now?"

"So you don't think we rushed into this?" Brooke asked quietly.

"Brooke, you realize that you are the ones who did this the _right_ way? Nathan and Haley dated for like, what, 4 months? And then got married at 17. Lucas and I...people like to say we're epic or whatever, but really we're just messed up," she said, eliciting another laugh from her best friend. "You and Skills were friends, then you dated, then you got married. That's how it's supposed to go."

"But what if he expects me to be just...good at this right away?"

"You think he knows what he's doing?" Peyton asked, laughing as she raised her eyebrow. "Men are even worse at this than women are! Luke and I lived together for nearly a year, and it was still weird after we got married."

"So what do I do?" the brunette asked, looking down at her hands.

"Talk to Skills! He's probably just as freaked out as you are. Maybe he's talking to Luke right now, wondering how he's never seen these jeans before," Peyton said, smiling and watching as Brooke's worry dissipated.

"Ugh," Brooke groaned. "Growing up sucks!"

"Hey, you don't have to remind me," Peyton laughed. "Try being pregnant and confined to a bed for weeks on end."

"I'd rather not right now, thanks," Brooke said, letting herself really laugh for the first time that day. "I'm actually kind of surprised you haven't made a break for it yet."

"Oh God, no chance," Peyton insisted, resting her hand over her stomach. "Not with this little guy in here."

"Aren't you freaking out?" Brooke asked as she settled back onto the pillows next to Peyton.

"Not really," the blonde said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I'm kind of past the freak out stage. I'm now in the 'I can't wait to hold him' stage."

"Still think it's a boy?" Brooke asked.

"Yeah. I mean, not that it really matters," she said with a shrug. "But if it is, I get bragging rights over Luke."

"And it _is_ all about bragging rights," Brooke joked, flashing a dimpled smile.

"Of course," Peyton laughed.

"Alright. Thank you for talking me down off the ledge," Brooke said half-jokingly. "I brought DVDs."

"Thank God! I'm going crazy," Peyton insisted. "Wait, don't you have work?"

"No," Brooke said with a smirk. "I have Grey's Anatomy."

The two best friends sat for the rest of the day, talking and laughing, watching television and eating healthy snacks. Lucas and Peyton hadn't told anyone the names they'd chosen, but Peyton told Brooke, after making her promise not to say anything to anyone. Brooke had held back a tear and said the names were perfect for baby Scott, whether it was a boy or a girl.

Peyton's cell rang halfway through the day, and she saw that it was Haley. After a short conversation that Brooke couldn't really catch the gist of, Peyton hung up and started laughing.

"What?" the brunette asked.

"Guess who else is on bed rest?" Peyton managed through her giggles.

"Oh God," Brooke groaned, running her hand over her face.

"I know. And she was all 'don't worry, Peyton', 'it won't be so bad, Peyton'. Let's see how _she_ likes it!" Peyton said with a smile. Brooke could only laugh at the statement.

"Wouldn't it be insane if you had the babies on the same day?" Brooke asked excitedly. "I mean, don't twins usually come early?"

Peyton just looked at Brooke and they both laughed, knowing that was a very real possibility. They talked some more about the babies, wondering if they'd all be boys or not. Haley and Nathan hadn't wanted to know the sexes of theirs either, so it would all be a surprise when the time came. There was a very real chance that Tree Hill would soon be home to three more Scott boys. Brooke muttered that that was a scary thought, and they laughed again before turning their attention back to the television.

----

Lucas had an end-of-the-year athletic department dinner that evening, and he'd insisted that he didn't have to go, but Peyton assured him that it was fine, and that she was just upset that she couldn't go with him.

She spent her evening on the phone with Haley, who was also home while Nathan was at that same dinner, and the two of them watched the same show, chatting about what was happening on the screen and laughing that this was now how they had to 'hang out'.

When Lucas stepped through the door to their bedroom, he was shocked and scared to see that Peyton wasn't in their bed. He frantically loosened his tie and dropped his suit jacket on the bed before walking quickly into the kitchen and checking the living room.

He walked to the nursery to see her sitting in the mostly-darkness, created by the setting sun and the absence of a light turned on. She was rocking in the wooden rocking chair that her father had given them, with her eyes closed and her head back. Her hands were resting on her stomach, and Lucas took a moment to just watch her. She was obviously lost in thought and hadn't heard him enter the house. He was actually thankful that he hadn't called out her name, knowing that if he had, he wouldn't be able to see her in that moment just as she was.

"Hey," he called softly, making her open her eyes and smile at the sound of his voice.

As much as he'd enjoyed watching her, she was enjoying watching him. He was leaning against the door frame like he always did, with his arms crossed and his head tilted. His tie was loose and the top button of his blue shirt was undone. In quiet moments like that one, he never failed to remind her just how sexy he was.

"Hi," she replied. "How was it?"

"Good," he shrugged. "Pretty much the same as every year."

"I know I'm not supposed to move," she said, noticing that he was about to say something more. "But I walked slowly, and I have just been sitting."

"I was actually going to say you look like a natural," he said softly, smiling as he spoke.

"Just need the baby, right?" she asked with a grin. "So...you wanna be a doll and help me up?" He threw his head back and let out a quiet laugh before stepping into the room. "I didn't really think this through."

"Well, I guess that just means you're lucky to have me," he said, smirking as he reached for her hand.

He pulled her up, and draped his arm over her shoulder as they walked slowly back to the bedroom. She got back in to bed immediately, and watched him as he shed his clothes and walked to the kitchen, returning minutes later with a couple glasses of water.

"What?" he asked, noticing her staring.

"Nothing!" she said quickly, smiling when he raised an eyebrow. "You're just kind of cute, that's all."

"Cute? Thanks," he scoffed playfully, pulling back the sheets and getting in to bed.

He reached for his book, and she watched him settle back into his place. She saw his eyes shift over to her, just to let her know that he was aware that she was still watching him, and she heaved a sigh and turned back to her own book.

This had become their routine. Where they used to read on the sofa, or watch television, then now lay in bed together most of the time. He didn't want to leave her alone, so he'd crawl beneath the covers and 'suffer' with her. If you asked him, however, laying in bed with his wife was far from suffering.

"You know what name I kind of love?" she asked with a smile, resting her book on her lap.

"What's that?" he responded, eyes still fixed on his book.

"Isabelle," she stated, turning to look at him.

"It's nice," he said, smiling as he turned to her. "How come you never mentioned it before?"

"Brooke brought over the first season of Grey's Anatomy and we watched like, six episodes today," she explained withe a laugh, making him do the same. "Isabelle Bailey Scott."

"Isn't there a Dr. Bailey on that show?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Oh. Right," she laughed. "What about Isabelle Rose Scott?"

He thought for a moment, saying the name in his head a few times, and then he leaned over to kiss her cheek, and she got the impression that he liked it.

"It's beautiful," he whispered. "Izzie Scott. Are you gonna make me choose between that and Sophia?"

"No! We won't have to," she said with a grin, knowing that he'd deduce from that, that she was telling him for thousandth time that it was a boy. "Brooke and I were talking today about how crazy it'd be if all these babies were boys."

"Honestly, that's a scary thought," he said seriously.

"That's what Brooke said!" Peyton laughed. "She said something about them being heartbreakers."

"That's not fair!" Lucas cried indignantly.

"Lucas..." she said, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow.

"OK, but it wasn't intentional!" he insisted seriously.

"Maybe so, but think about it. Dan, you, Nathan..."

"Hey, don't clump me and Nathan in with Dan," he warned, half-teasingly.

"I'm just saying. Scott men are definitely heartbreakers," she said with a shrug. "You reel us in with your charm and your blue eyes and your...whatever it is about Scotts that makes you so irresistible."

"We can't help it if we're awesome, babe," he said, smirking.

"That! Right there!" she cried, pointing at him. "That smirk! I think this is the first time I've really wanted it to be a girl." He laughed when she echoed his words from the week before. "If my eyes are a weapon, your damn smirk is a weapon, too."

"I do love those eyes, though," he said seriously, taking her hand in his.

"And I love that smirk," she admitted. "But you _do_ know how to use it."

"It's a gift," he shrugged.

She swatted his arm lightly and they each went back to their respective books. Moments later, she heard him whisper 'Isabelle Rose Scott' as quietly as he could, and when she glanced at him, and he knew he'd been caught, his cheeks went pink, and she just had to lean in and kiss him. The baby kicked, and she wondered, really wondered, for the first time if just maybe it _was_ a girl.

----

Another two weeks passed, and Peyton had been on bed rest for a full month. Calls to and from the doctor had let her know that she was still doing alright, she just needed to keep doing what she was doing, which, unfortunately, was very little.

The restlessness came and went. She catalogued her entire CD and record collection by genre, year, and then cross-referenced them by most listened-to. To say she was running out of things to do would be an understatement.

Desiree had stopped by a couple times so they could listen to demos, and Lucas had 'allowed' it, since it was not really an activity, and if he'd said no she probably would have yelled at him. She, of course, didn't need his permission, but she valued his opinion anyway.

Nathan and Jamie traded places with Lucas one Saturday. The boys came over to spend the day with Peyton while Lucas went to spend the day with his best friend, who, from the sounds of it, was handling the bed rest even worse than Peyton was.

Nathan explained that Haley was just really uncomfortable and for someone who didn't really ever sit still, she was having a hard time doing nothing. Peyton called her the next day and told her about her list of demands, and Haley had laughed and called her friend a genius. Nathan burst through the door and sarcastically thanked her for that.

Half way through the fifth week, Peyton was sitting in bed, channel surfing while Lucas worked away in the kitchen, typing something or another. She had just settled on a repeat of some sitcom from the 80's when she felt something in her stomach that she knew from all the books she'd read wasn't just a muscle spasm. She had felt something similar a few times that morning, but this was stronger. The pressure built and began making her more and more uncomfortable, and she got nervous and excited and terrified all at the same time.

"Luke!" she shouted urgently. "Lucas!"

"Just a sec," he said nonchalantly from the kitchen.

And she wondered then if that was the reason why he'd asked her so many times not to call his name like that. It was like the boy who cried 'wolf'. But that thought only lasted a moment, and then she remembered what she needed him for.

"Lucas!" she called again.

"OK, OK. I'm coming. Jeez, what's the big deal?" he asked, sauntering casually into the room.

"The _big deal_, is that I'm having this baby and I thought you might like to be informed!" she said with a smile, despite the obvious panic she was feeling.

He just stood for a moment, frozen in place in response to what she'd just said. Having the baby. Now. Right now. He could vaguely see her moving off the bed and grabbing the bag that had been packed and waiting on the dresser for when this moment arrived.

"Lucas!" she said again, laughing at his bewildered look. She was standing at the door with a hand resting on her stomach. "Am I gonna have to drive myself to the freaking hospital, or would you care to join me?"

He grabbed his keys and phone off the desk and walked to her as quickly as he could. He took her hand and smiled at her, and when she smiled back, he noticed there were tears in her eyes, too.

"Are you ready for this?" she asked with a smirk.

"I don't really have a choice," he said softly, watching as her smile grew. "Peyton, I love you."

"I love you, too, but we really need to go," she said with a laugh.

He moved his hand to her cheek, and leaned in to kissed her gently before ushering her out the door and helping her down the stairs.

They were having a baby.


	18. I Only Love Her More

With Peyton's reassurance that she wasn't going to have the baby between their house and the hospital, Lucas drove the speed limit and didn't break any laws. It gave Peyton time to call Nathan and Haley, Brooke, her dad and brother, and Karen. Brooke and Nathan each assured her that they'd be at the hospital shortly after she got there, and Haley had grumbled that she couldn't be there, but wished her luck and expected someone to phone with updates.

Her dad was out on a job, but would return home as quickly as possible, and Derek had already scheduled to come to town for a couple day the following week, and Peyton insisted that it was fine for him to just wait until then. Karen and Andy were in London, but assured Peyton that they were on the next flight out. It appeared no one had expected the baby to be a week early.

When they arrived at the hospital, after Lucas had parked the car, Peyton reached over and rest her hand on his arm, making him turn to look at her.

"Honey, I need you to stay calm," she said, half sweet, half warning.

"Calm?" he asked with a smile. "This is you and my baby..."

"Lucas, I'm serious. If you start freaking out...more...I'm going to lose it," she said, trying to make him understand.

He sighed and nodded, and then got out of the car and walked to her side to open the door and help her out. He cupped her elbow and held her hand as they walked through the parking lot and through the doors to admittance.

She was promptly given a wheelchair to sit in, and though she would have loved to say she didn't need it, walking was getting more and more difficult. A nurse wheeled her into one of the maternity rooms, with Lucas by her side the whole way. As she was undressing and putting on the hospital gown, Lucas was informed that their OB-GYN was being paged and that she would be there soon to check the progress, and that they had best make themselves comfortable.

Lucas helped Peyton into the bed and held her hand while the nurse hooked up whatever monitors needed to be hooked up, doing his best not to either go crazy or smile like an idiot.

"How are you?" He'd managed not to ask the question until then, though it had been on the tip of his tongue since they'd gotten in the car. They were finally alone in the room, and his shock was beginning to dissipate.

"If I say scared will that freak you out?" she asked with a weak smile. She watched as a grin spread on his face, and he leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"You're gonna do great, baby," he assured her in a whisper.

"I hate waiting," she all but pouted.

"Once Dr. Heymans gets here, we'll know how long you have to wait," he said, trying to stay positive but not patronizing.

"We," she corrected.

"What?"

"How long we have to wait," she said, smiling at him as he pulled the chair closer to the bed.

"I didn't know if you wanted me to be that guy," he laughed. "The _we_ guy."

It was true. He didn't want to just assume that she'd want him to use terms like that, when it was her body going through this. Yes, it was his - their - child, but he didn't want to say anything to make her angry. He'd made her promise in the early stages that she wouldn't be the 'you did this to me' woman while giving birth, and he'd promised not to even try to understand how painful childbirth was going to be.

"You're gonna be a daddy, Luke," she said softly after a few moments, taking his hand in hers.

He raised her hand to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. He was just about to speak, when the door opened and a friendly nurse in purple scrubs poked her head in.

"Mr. and Mrs. Scott, Nathan and Brooke are here, and asked that I let you know," she said in a sweet voice.

"OK. Thank you," Lucas said before turning back to his wife.

"Go," she insisted with a nod.

"No. I'll wait until the doctor comes and I actually have news to pass along," he said, her hand still tucked firmly in his.

"Poor Nathan," she muttered.

"What?" he laughed.

"Dealing with Brooke right now when she realizes you aren't telling her what's going on," she explained. "You should go and...ohhhh!"

She winced in pain and squeezed Lucas' hand tightly as her other hand flew to rest on her stomach.

"OK Peyt," Lucas said, as calmly as he could. "Breathe through it."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly as the pain subsided, and lay her head back on the pillow.

"Isn't this supposed to go really slowly?" she asked, trying to elicit a laugh from her husband.

"We've been here like, a half hour and I already feel useless," he admitted, shaking his head.

"Lucas..."

"You know me," he said with a shrug. "I see you in pain and I go into 'Protect Peyton Mode'."

"You have a whole mode devoted to me?" she asked teasingly, watching as he laughed. "Babe, that's so sweet!"

The door opened again and Dr. Heymans walked in with a smile on her face and a chart in her hands.

"Hi!" she said happily. "The big day!"

"You are gonna have to dial back the happy," Peyton warned, making both Lucas and Dr. Heymans laugh.

"Fair enough," the doctor conceded, though her smile stayed in place. "So you just got here, but how are things going?"

"You tell me," Peyton said, trying to get comfortable in the bed.

Dr. Heymans nodded and wheeled a stool around to the foot of the bed, and performed a quick exam while Lucas held Peyton's hand.

"OK," the doctor said as she tugged off her latex gloves. "You're at about 4 centimeters right now, and we need to get to 10, so there is still quite a while to go."

"But we got to 4 so fast! Maybe that means we'll get to 10 fast?" Peyton asked hopefully.

"You'd think," Dr. Heyman's said with a smirk. "If you want to put a good spin on it, you're already in the active phase, which usually means less waiting time in the hospital. We'll just have to wait and see. Make yourselves comfortable, and I'll be back in about an hour to check on you."

"Anything we can do in the meantime?" Lucas asked.

"Honey, you say that like we haven't read every pregnancy book ever published," Peyton teased.

"I'll be back," the doctor laughed.

When the door closed again, Lucas looked over at Peyton as she lay with her eyes closed, as though she were trying to sleep until she had to start pushing.

"I'm gonna go talk to Brooke and Nathan real quick, alright?" Lucas said standing from his place.

"OK," she said, opening her eyes and smiling at him. "I'll be alright here. Bring me a snack."

"A snack?" he asked with a laugh.

"Yes. A muffin. And...a fruit salad," she said, her eyes pleading.

"Ice chips?" he inquired jokingly.

"Actually, that sounds amazing," she said, smiling brightly.

"OK, you are like, the most mellow woman in labour ever," he told her before reaching for the door handle.

As soon as he'd stepped into the hallway, Brooke shot up out of her seat. Nathan was more relaxed, since he'd been through this once before, but he did turn his attention towards his brother and look on with a concerned and excited expression.

"It's early. Probably a lot of waiting," he explained easily.

"How is she?" Brooke asked. "I brought a few magazines. Figured it couldn't hurt."

"Thanks, Brooke," Lucas laughed. "She's good. Surprisingly not mean."

"She'll get there," Nathan muttered. "Trust me. Once the contractions start getting closer together, she won't be so happy."

"I thought you said Haley was a champ during labour," Brooke said with a raised brow.

"I did. Because she was sitting right next to me," Nathan laughed. "The one and only time I have ever heard her say the f-word was about hour 12."

The three of them laughed at that piece of information that had never been shared before. Brooke sat back down in her seat and took a sip from the bottle of water she'd been clutching.

"Alright, I'm off to find ice chips and some sort of a snack," Lucas informed them, looking down the hall.

"Down the hall, around the corner, next to the coffee machine," Nathan said nonchalantly.

"Wow, you are a pro at this!" Brooke said with a grin, bumping his shoulder with her own as he laughed.

By the time Lucas got back to the room, Peyton was laying comfortably, reading the latest issue of magazine, making Lucas look at her quizzically.

"Where'd you get that?" he asked, though he was sure he already knew the answer.

"Brooke snuck in while Nathan kept guard at the door," she said, shrugging her shoulders. She didn't look up from the page until she heard him laugh. "Sorry babe. You were just gone for too long."

"I was gone for like, 20 minutes!" he objected and she shrugged again. "Here are your ice chips and fruit salad. They didn't have any muffins you'd like."

"Thank you," she said sweetly, taking the items from him.

"OK, are you alright?" he asked hurriedly as he sat down again in the chair next to her bed.

"Yeah. Why?" She turned to him and furrowed her brow as she smiled.

"You are kind of uncharacteristically...happy right now," he pointed out.

"Lucas Scott," she said with a grin, closing her magazine on her lap and turning to him, "I am having your baby in a matter of hours."

"Exactly why you should be...in pain and cursing me out," he teased, resting his elbows on the side of her bed.

"Luke," she said softly, "I told you before. This is what I've wanted for so long."

"Me too," he whispered.

"And when we get to hold that little baby, none of the pain is going to matter. So I'm just choosing not to focus on that right now," she said, shrugging her shoulders as though that were the simplest plan in the world.

"Those prenatal yoga classes must have been amazing," he teased, sitting back in his chair and watching as she picked up her magazine again. "Brooke didn't happen to put a Sports Illustrated in there or anything, did she?"

"No," she laughed. "But there's an old copy of _1984_ in the bag."

"Nice!" he said excitedly. He pulled the book out and examined it. "This is mine!"

"What?" she asked.

"This is my book. She must have had it since high school," he said with a smile. "Amazing."

"Um, Lucas? You might not want to bring up your past relationship with my best friend right now - Oww!" She clutched her stomach again and leaned forward as Lucas stood and reached for her free hand, rubbing her back with his other.

"Alright, baby, just breathe," he said soothingly.

A few moments later, she laid her back against the pillows once more, and reached for the cup of ice chips. She wasn't complaining about how much it hurt, or how she didn't want to do it any more, or how she wished it was just over already. She was just calm.

"Honestly, you're freaking me out right now," Lucas teased, making her laugh. "It's eerie!"

"I told you I need you to stay calm," she said through her giggles. "So just sit there and read your book and wait till I need you to hold my hand again."

"I'm probably the first man to ever wish that his wife was always in labour," he mumbled, making her swat him with her magazine as he laughed.

They spent the next four hours talking and reading and dealing with the contractions as they came. The doctor came and went, and a nurse popped in once or twice. They weren't sure how they'd gotten so lucky, but they'd secured one of the only single occupancy rooms in the hospital, so they didn't have to worry about sharing with another couple.

Lucas had given Brooke and Nathan occasional updates, and he'd been told that Skills was staying at the house with Haley and Jamie while Nathan wasn't there. Peyton had laughed when he told her that, both of them knowing that Haley would be especially moody knowing she couldn't be at the hospital for the birth of her niece or nephew.

When their doctor returned for the third time, Peyton was just finishing getting through another contraction, with Lucas in the position next to the bed that they'd found worked best. The contractions were coming faster and lasting longer, and while Peyton's mood still impressed Lucas, she was becoming less and less happy as the hours passed.

The doctor checked her progress and informed them that she was at 7 centimeters, and she'd told them that this was an incredibly quick labour, given that it was their first baby, and that she had been in labour for 26 hours with her first. Peyton had smiled apologetically, since she now knew and understood what all the complaining was about. It couldn't even be considered complaining; if you asked her, it was all legitimate.

Lucas stepped out into the hall to give a quick update, only to see Brooke on the phone and Nathan sleeping in what looked to be a very uncomfortable position.

"Oh! Luke just came out. Hang on," Brooke said into the phone before thrusting it towards Lucas.

"Hello?" he said timidly, unsure of who was on the other end of the line.

"How is she?" came Haley's voice.

"She's good. She's amazing, actually," Lucas said with a bit of a laugh.

"She's not angry yet?" Haley asked teasingly.

"No, but I'm sure we'll get there," he said.

Nathan stirred to life at the sound of the masculine voice, just in time to hear his brother tell Haley how things were going and how far along they were. She'd shouted into the phone so loudly that Brooke heard her say how unfair it was that things were going so quickly.

"I gotta go, Hales, but stay calm, OK? We don't need you popping out kids today, too," he teased, making her laugh again. "Bye."

He handed the phone back to Brooke and stepped back into the room, and just in time, too. He rushed toward the bed to help his wife through another contraction, only speaking when she was resting again.

"Haley asked how you were," he smiled.

"Tell her I'm pretty sure this is hell," she grumbled.

And there was the moment he was waiting for. This was how he'd expected her to be through the entire process.

"Well, she's got two in there, so..."

"Ha!" Peyton laughed, then quickly covered her mouth. "Sorry. That was mean...but...whatever. I'm allowed."

"You're allowed whatever you want, babe," he assured her, leaning over to kiss her temple.

Another hour, and the contractions were close together and Peyton was exhausted. Lucas was doing his best to keep her as comfortable as possible, but they both knew that it was a futile effort. That certainly didn't mean he was going to stop trying, however.

"You want some more ice chips?" he asked as calmly as he could as she let go of his hand and took a deep breath .

"Yeah, because _ice chips _are so damn soothing," she bit out sarcastically. He wiped her brow with a damp cloth and smiled down at her, and she just smiled sheepishly, realizing that he didn't deserve her outburst. "Yes, please."

"OK," he said, leaning down to kiss her forehead. "I'll be right back."

"I want Nathan!" she called right before he stepped outside.

"What?" he asked, almost laughing, though he realized that would have been the worst possible thing to do.

"I want Nathan while you're gone. Please, Luke," she said.

She looked so tired and scared to be left alone, and there was no way he was going to let her sit there like that for the entire time he was gone, no matter how long or short a time that might be.

"OK," he nodded.

He stepped out into the hall, and Brooke looked terrified. He knew Peyton's voice would have penetrated through the door as she screamed with each contraction, and that Brooke was probably insanely worried about her best friend.

"She's OK. She wants Nathan," he said simply.

"What'd you do?" Nathan asked with a laugh as he stood from his spot.

"Nothing! I just need to get more ice. Get in there," Lucas demanded.

"Take your time, man. I've got her," Nathan said, though he knew his brother wouldn't be taking his time with anything.

Lucas had just walked away when Nathan pushed the door to Peyton's room open, and saw her sitting back on the bed with one arm behind her head and her eyes closed. When she heard the door click open, she turned and looked at him.

"Alright, Sawyer, what do you need?" he said, clapping his hands together and making her laugh.

"I need you to be a stand in Luke," she said in a tired voice.

"How 'bout I just be a Nathan," he said, taking her hand as he stood next to the bed. "How you holding up?"

"OK," she said, laying her head back again. "I'm so tired."

"I know. But you've gotta get this little guy out so he can meet his awesome uncle," Nathan said with a smile, brushing the hair from her sweat-dampened temple with his free hand.

She was about to respond when another contraction came, launching her forward slightly as Nathan draped an arm around her and let her hold his hand as tightly as she needed to. He spoke in a soothing tone and reminded her of her breathing, and when it was over and she made a sound that let him know that she was about to cry, he knew he couldn't let her break down.

"Peyton, you're doing so good," he assured her. "You're rocking this, OK?"

She just nodded weakly and wordlessly rest her head against his chest as he held her.

"You're doing great," he insisted,

"I'm kind of scared," she admitted quietly.

"I know," he said, rubbing circles on her back. "But it's worth it. Trust me."

"How's Luke?" she whispered.

"What? You've been with him all day," Nathan laughed as she slowly sat back against the pillows.

"I know. But I won't let him freak out," she told him, making him laugh.

"He's so excited," Nathan said with a smile. "Like, I've never seen him like this."

"Good," she said, cracking a smile. "How's Brooke?"

"Mortified," he admitted. "She's scared for you. You aren't exactly quiet."

"Sor-ry!" she said sarcastically, stifling a laugh.

"Well, I think this is birth control for her right now," he laughed, making her jaw drop. "Jamie's pretty excited. He can't wait for all these babies."

She laughed again at the thought of the little boy surrounded by newborns, and then another contraction came just as Lucas was stepping through the door. He watched as Nathan assumed the position and helped Peyton through it just like he had been. He knew better than to try to step in, and he was actually just a little bit thankful for the rest, though he knew it was a selfish thing to think, considering what his wife was going through.

Once her head was back on the pillows, Nathan kissed her forehead and whispered something that made her smile, then patted his brother on the back as he passed him and exited the room.

"I think it's time," she said seriously, as her husband took her hand again.

"Should I get the doctor?" he asked, watching as she nodded.

He reached for the button they'd been told to press, and within a matter of about 10 minutes, they had their doctor and two nurses rushing around the room, getting things prepared.

"OK, Peyton," Dr. Heymans said. "On the next contraction, I need you to start pushing."

Peyton nodded and prepared herself for what was to come by clutching Lucas' hand and letting him take the position he'd been told to take in their birthing class. She did as she was told, and began pushing, which brought on a whole new level of pain. Lucas felt absolutely powerless to do anything. He knew that he was helping her just by being there and talking her through it, but it was hard for him to just sit by and watch her hurt so much. He knew that was always one of her favourite things about him - that protectiveness - but he hated it at the moment.

The next half hour was excruciating for her. She felt like she was getting nowhere, though she knew on some level that wasn't the case. Any rational thought was clouded by the toll it was all taking on her body. She lay back again, though Lucas' arm was around her, and she felt absolutely defeated.

"I can't," she cried. "Luke, I can't."

"Peyton, baby, you can," he assured her insistently, wiping her tears with his hand.

"It hurts," she whimpered.

"I know. I know it does," he whispered lovingly. "You're doing so good. He's almost here, OK?"

"OK," she managed, through her sobbing. "You called him 'he'."

"I did, didn't I?" he said, laughing weakly. "Maybe it's a sign."

"Alright, Peyton. This is a big one, OK? I need you to push for me," the doctor instructed.

She did as she was told, but she wasn't quiet about it. She was oblivious to anything anyone was saying to her. She knew this was the last push, somehow, and that she'd be able to see her baby as soon as it was over, so she focused on that instead of the intense pain she was going through.

"One more, Peyton," Dr. Heymans said encouragingly.

And then, moments later, Peyton was done, she rested back against the bed as she heard the sweet sounds of her baby's first cries.

"It's a boy!" the doctor announced

"You did it, baby," Lucas said, resting his forehead against Peyton's. He was unable to hide his emotion, and he began crying alongside his wife and his son. "You did it."

"A boy," she whispered tearfully, locking eyes with Lucas. "You have a son."

"_We_ have a son," he corrected, running his thumb across her knuckles.

The nurse brought over the tiny little boy and lay him in Peyton's arms for the first time, and she felt something so overwhelming, so real, that she started to cry even harder.

"Shhh," she soothed, reaching up to push the blanket away from his red little face. "Shh, it's OK. Hi."

"He's perfect," Lucas said, locking eyes with his wife. "He's beautiful."

"I love him," she said, looking back down at their son. "And I love you."

"I love you, too," he whispered, wiping his eye.

"He has your nose," she said softly. It was a bizarre mix of crying and laughing, that he hadn't ever really heard from her before, but he was loving it. Tears of pain had become tears of joy as soon as that baby was laid in her arms.

He didn't know what to say, so he just stroked Peyton's hair with one hand and placed his other on his son's little tummy as it was wrapped in the blanket. He shared a look with his wife, and they both acknowledged silently, that this was as happy as they'd ever been.


	19. She's a Lover When She's Loving

Lucas stepped out of the room after another half hour or so. The nurses had cleaned up his son and done whatever else it was they had to do, and he'd made Peyton as comfortable as she could get. She'd fallen asleep almost immediately, and he knew she needed it, though they both knew she wouldn't be sleeping long.

He'd paused before reaching for the handle, aware that his life had just changed and he now got to share his news with his whole world.

When he stepped into the hall, Brooke and Nathan both stood up expectantly, desperate to hear the words they'd spent hours sitting in plastic chairs waiting on. But Lucas pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number, and put the phone on speaker. He thought, for a moment, that Brooke was about to hit him.

"Hello!?" Haley asked frantically, hoping this was the call she'd been waiting for.

"It's a boy!" Lucas said excitedly.

Both women squealed, and Nathan smiled and pulled his brother into a hug, and everyone was talking over everyone else.

"7lbs, 4 ounces, 19 inches long," Lucas explained, as he watched Brooke wiping her tears. "He's perfect."

"I bet he is," Haley said softly, and they all knew she was crying. "What's his name!?"

"Isaac Nathan Scott," Lucas announced proudly, locking eyes with his brother, who offered a smile that indicated he was thrilled and proud to have been honoured that way.

"It's beautiful," Brooke whispered.

"I love it," Haley said, and they could all tell that she was just a little bit more emotional than her husband was upon hearing the name. "How is she?"

"Exhausted. She's sleeping right now. She did amazing, though," Lucas explained, still in awe of Peyton's strength.

"I can't believe she didn't have an epidural," Haley said in reverence of the feat.

"She insisted she wanted to do it naturally," Lucas said, shaking his head, though he knew she couldn't see. "She was great."

"Brooke Davis, you better have your camera ready," Haley warned, making them all laugh again.

"I do, and as soon as we can see them, I'll be snapping pics," Brooke promised.

"OK, well Jamie and Skills are begging me with their puppy dog eyes to fill them in, so I should go," Haley laughed. "But congratulations, Lucas. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, Hales. We'll come see you soon," he promised.

He hung up the phone and immediately moved to sit down. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back. It had been an exhausting and emotional day, and while he wouldn't trade it for the world, it was a lot to take in, and he had hardly even begun to process everything. He had a child. It still didn't feel real, though only a half hour earlier, he'd held his son in his arms.

"You OK? Can I get you anything?" Nathan asked as he sat across from his brother.

"I grabbed a salad for you before the cafeteria closed," Brooke offered, handing him the plastic container.

"Thanks, Brooke," he said sincerely. "I'm just..."

"I know," Nathan said with a smile. He remembered that feeling. "I know."

"And we'll all be back here again soon waiting for yours," Brooke said, almost still amazed that this was all happening at the same time.

"I hope it goes as quickly," Nathan laughed.

"Oh God, don't say that to Peyton," Lucas warned seriously. "She'll kill you."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

Nathan stood and stretched, and offered to call the rest of their friends while Lucas ate. Brooke explained that Karen and Andy were stuck on a layover in New York, but that their plane would have just boarded, so Lucas left his mother a voicemail letting her know how everything had gone.

Lucas finished his food and a bottle of water, and he could tell Brooke was absolutely restless, wanting to see her best friend and the baby. She was pacing and biting her thumbnail, and he smiled at her excitement.

"Why don't you go in?" he offered, making her stop in her tracks and look at him in surprise.

"What? No," she said, shaking her head. "Nathan should go first. He's his real uncle."

"And you're his real aunt," Lucas smiled. He locked eyes with her and he noticed her tearing up, so he stood and pulled her into a hug. "Go on. She's wanted to see you all day."

"Thanks," she said softly as she pulled away. She grabbed her bag and headed for the door, but stopped about 10 feet from him. "Luke, you're giving her everything, you know that?"

He knew she'd know the weight those words held, since he'd written them in his first book, describing that night all those years ago with the woman who was now his wife. But the look on her face and the way she said it let him know that it wasn't meant as a throwback. It was just the truth, and she would have said it whether it had been a significant sentiment in his relationship with her best friend or not.

He could only smile and nod, because as much as he wanted to insist that Peyton was giving him everything back, he didn't need to say the words, and he knew Brooke would know that was how he felt.

She smiled back at him and turned towards the room again. She pushed the door open quietly and stepped through, smiling when she saw Peyton's eyes open.

"Hey mommy," Brooke said softly, making Peyton smile. "Sorry to wake you."

"I wasn't really sleeping," she insisted, looking back to the little bassinet to her left. "Come here."

Brooke walked swiftly over to the bed and hugged her friend gently, murmuring congratulations before she even really saw the baby. She walked around the other side of the bed and placed her hand over her heart when she saw the baby boy slumbering, swaddled in blue blankets.

"Peyton," she whispered, glancing back over to the new mom.

"You can pick him up," Peyton said with a smile, knowing how desperate Brooke would be to hold him.

She carefully gathered up the baby and held him close to her body, and both women laughed when a tear fell onto the blanket.

"Luke said he was perfect," Brooke said softly. "God, Peyton, he's amazing."

"I know," she whispered. "He looks like Luke."

"Are you kidding? There's _no_ doubting he's Lucas' son," Brooke laughed. "He's got your lips, though."

Peyton watched as Brooke bounced the boy gently, introducing herself as the aunt that fully intended on spoiling the diapers off him.

"OK, I feel like I'm hogging him," she laughed after a few minutes. "Here."

She handed the baby to Peyton, wiping her tears as she watched her best friend transform into a mother right before her eyes. There was love and attention there that hadn't been there before. It was different and new, and motherhood had already changed Peyton in all the best ways.

Brooke had just composed herself when Nathan and Lucas walked into the room wearing matching smiles.

"Look who's finally made a contribution to the Scott family," Nathan teased, walking towards Peyton and Isaac as they all chuckled at his ability to joke in any situation.

He leaned down to kiss Peyton's forehead, and then his large hand ran gently over the baby's sleeping head, and he was filled with all sorts of pride knowing that baby was part of his family forever.

Lucas stood back and watched as his wife handed his son to his brother, and he couldn't have been more in love with anything if he tried.

After a while longer, what seemed like a thousand photos, and conversations all centered around the baby in the room, one of the nurses came in and explained that visiting hours were long over. They'd smiled and thanked her for letting them stay that long, and with some final words and congratulations, Brooke and Nathan left the hospital for the first time in what felt like ages.

Peyton had insisted that Lucas should go home and get sleep, and that she'd be fine there alone until the following morning. It had taken persuading, but one big yawn that he couldn't stop, and her raised eyebrow, and he kissed her and told her he loved her for the thousandth time that day, and he kissed his son's head and he told him the same.

----

Isaac was 5 days old, and it had been a steady stream of visitors since they'd come home from the hospital. Karen, Andy and Lily were in town and had of course been around. Karen was enamored with her grandson, and had needlessly thanked Lucas and Peyton.

They'd stopped to see Haley on the way home from the hospital, because she was dying not being able to see the baby, and she was, after all, his Godmother. She'd teared up and held him and she and Peyton had talked about the delivery. Jamie loved the little boy already and grew even more impatient to have siblings.

Peyton's father came back from his job, and he'd visited, and Peyton had seen him cry numerous times before - so had Lucas, actually - and it was acknowledged that Larry Sawyer was a big 'ol softy. He didn't care what they called him, because that baby boy made his little girl happier than he'd ever seen her.

Brooke and Skills had been by, and the guys from the River Court, and Desiree.

The moments when it was the three of them alone were cherished. Lucas was a pro with the baby, and Peyton was a natural. It shouldn't have amazed Lucas to see her moving and soothing the baby with such ease, but it did. She had a magic touch that he almost envied. All she had to do was pick up the infant and hold him against her, and he'd stop crying almost instantly. Any worry she had about not being able to handle being a mother was completely erased.

Lucas had just finished the last of their dishes from lunch, and his heart beat rapidly at the sight before him when he stepped into the doorway of their bedroom. He leaned against the door frame like he always did, and just watched her.

She was laying on the bed, on her side, propped up on her elbow, staring down at the baby boy dressed in a Raven blue onesie - a gift from his uncle Skills. She was just smiling down at him as he cooed in that distinct newborn way.

Lucas reached for the ever-available camera, and snapped a photo before she'd noticed him, and she just let out a breathy laugh when she heard the sound of the shutter.

"Our baby is the best baby ever," she said convincingly, looking from her husband back to Isaac.

Lucas joined her on the bed and mimicked the way she was laying, with the baby between them.

"He is," he concurred. "And his mom is the best mom ever."

"She kind of is, isn't she?" she asked with a smile and he nodded seriously. "His daddy's OK."

"Just OK?" he asked with a smirk and a raised brow.

"Kind of amazing," she said softly, intertwining her hand with his.

He was just about to respond when his phone rang in his pocket and he pulled it out to answer it.

"Hello?...Really?...When?...OK...No, no, thanks for calling...Yeah, I'll tell her...OK...Bye."

"What?" she asked, noting the smile on his face.

"Haley's water broke about two hours ago," he informed her, and her jaw dropped.

"You have to go!" she said happily, and he started shaking his head. "Lucas, you have to. She's your best friend."

"I don't want to leave you two," he admitted quietly. He didn't know why he was almost embarrassed to say it.

"We'll be just fine," she told him, reaching out to place her hand on his cheek. "Besides, we need to talk about you."

"Oh you do, do you?" he asked with a smile before kissing the palm of her hand.

"Uh huh," she nodded.

He leaned in to kiss her and his son, and then stood from the bed and grabbed his keys.

"I'll call you, OK? You call me if you need anything," he said seriously, looking at her imploringly, as though he was waiting for her to promise it.

"I will," she insisted. "Tell her I love her, and tell Nathan congrats."

"I will."

He kissed her once more and then went out the door, and just as he'd pulled it shut he heard her voice again.

"OK, Isaac, there's a few things you need to know..."

He could only smile. God, he loved that woman.

----

It was 3:00 am when Lucas stepped back into his home. He dropped his things and made his way to the nursery, where he saw the light on.

Peyton was sitting in that rocking chair, rocking a steady rhythm as one of their favourite albums played quietly in the background. Isaac was fast asleep in her arms, and she probably should have put him back in his crib, but she just didn't want to let him go yet.

"Hey," Lucas said, calling her attention to him.

"Hi!" she said in an excited whisper.

She stood from the chair and placed the baby gently in his crib. Lucas went to her side and ran his hand over his son's head before taking Peyton's hand in his. She grabbed the baby monitor, and they walked down the hall to their own bedroom.

"I didn't want to call in case you were sleeping," he explained, watching as she lay back on the bed.

"He just woke up to eat," she said with a smile. The love with which she said those simple words made him fall in love with her all over again. "Well?!"

"A boy and a girl," he said with a smile. Her hand flew to her mouth and she let out a quick breath. "They're little. Just under 6 pounds, but that's normal for twins, I guess. They're so cute. I mean, not as cute as Isaac, but..."

She cut him off with a swat to the arm, and he only shrugged his shoulders.

"What are their names?" she asked excitedly.

"They don't have them yet," he said. "Well, they have a boys' name, but not a girls' name, and they don't want to officially name one without the naming the other."

"Didn't they think of girls' names?" Peyton asked after she'd stopped laughing. That logic was all Haley, and she knew it.

"Yeah, but Haley said that she didn't '_look_' like an Emily," he said, shaking his head. "She wouldn't even tell us the boys' name."

"How is she?" she asked, gazing at him as he tugged off his shirt and unzipped his pants.

"Awesome. She took the drugs," Lucas said with a laugh, knowing that Haley and Peyton had had many discussions on whether or not they'd have an epidural or not.

"We have to go see her tomorrow," Peyton said with finality. "I know we haven't taken him out yet, but it's time. And I need to see those babies."

"That sounds fine," he said, sliding into bed with her and pulling her into his arms.

"I also want to...I mean, if it's OK with you...I wanted to maybe stop by the cemetery," she said softly.

Of course she'd suggest that. He kind of loved that about her, that intense love she had for the important people who had been in her life.

"Only Peyton Sawyer would take her child to the cemetery for his first outing," Lucas teased playfully.

"He should meet his grandparents," she said seriously, and with meaning.

"That sounds perfect." He leaned over to kiss the top of her head before turning out the light. "I love you," he said as he heard her breathing slow.

"Love you too," she mumbled.

----

When Peyton woke the next morning, she was in bed alone, and it took her a moment before realizing that the baby monitor next to her was the source of her husband's voice. He wasn't saying anything, really, just occasional words or phrases as he spoke to their son. She wondered how long they'd been up and why he hadn't woken her, but she was kind of thankful for the sleep, though she knew he would have been more exhausted than she was.

She got up, pulled on her robe and walked to the nursery. Lucas sent her a wink when he saw her in the doorway, and she smiled when she saw Isaac in fresh clothes, seemingly ready for the day.

"Hey," she said, walking over to where he was standing by the window. "What are you boys up to?"

"Just letting you sleep in a little," Lucas said, letting Peyton take the baby from him.

"Where you bonding with daddy?" she asked in a sweet voice, smiling down at the baby in her hold. He moved his little arms wildly and made a noise, and she let out a laugh. "You were?"

"Oh my God, you're adorable," Lucas said with a smile, leaning over to kiss her forehead before starting out of the room. She just laughed as she followed him.

"He's the only man I love as much as you," she said, watching him prepare coffee. "Maybe more."

"I guess I can allow that," he teased, making her laugh.

They had a quick breakfast and got ready, each taking turns with the baby while the other got dressed for their day, and they high fived each other when they were out of the house in under an hour and a half. They buckled Isaac into the car and started towards the cemetery.

They weren't there long, and not many words were spoken, but it was perfect. They each had moments alone in front of the stones they'd each spent countless hours in front of, and they each held their son as they made casual introductions. It felt right, and cathartic. Now Isaac was known by all the most important people in his parents' lives.

----

Walking through the halls of the hospital, nurses oo-ed and ah-ed over their little boy, and one particularly caring one told them which path to take to avoid all the sick people. Well, most of the sick people. They walked to Haley's room and they joked about how much time they'd spent in that wing of the hospital that week.

They stepped into the room with a slumbering Isaac in his father's arms, and Haley perked up right away.

"Peyton!" she said happily. For two women who were near inseparable, they'd spent so much time apart in the month prior that it was exciting to them to even be in the same room.

"Hey mama," Peyton said, walking towards the bed and squeezing her friend's hand. "Hey Nate."

"Sawyer. How's my nephew?" he asked, looking at the boy.

"He's amazing," she said with a smile, knowing that he'd already changed her life. She couldn't help but grin any time he was spoken of.

She walked around to where Nathan was standing, and he picked up the little boy and handed him to Haley, and he picked up the little girl and handed her to Peyton.

"Oh wow," she said, choking up as she looked down at the girl's face. "She's perfect."

"She is," Nathan said, clearly enamored with his first daughter. "So's the little guy."

"Yeah," Peyton admitted, stepping closer to Haley and gazing at her nephew. "I mean, other than not having names."

"OK, Lucas probably explained it wrong," Haley said defensively. "I don't want to name one before the other, and have them not be equal from the get-go."

"It's kind of backwards," Peyton laughed, knowing that the men would get yelled at if they pointed out that very thing. "But she's definitely not an Emily."

"I know, right?" Haley said, looking over at her daughter.

Brooke and Skills walked into the room at that moment with Jamie, and said happy greetings as they noticed the presence of three more people in the room.

"OK seriously, this is insane," Brooke said, looking over at Skills. "We are so outnumbered here, it's not even funny."

"It's like Scotts are taking over this town," he laughed, making everyone else do the same when they realized just how true that might have been.

"Now that you're all here, we have gifts for you," Brooke said, barely able to contain her excitement. She pulled a bag out from behind her bag. "James helped us."

"Well then it's probably amazing," Peyton said, winking at the boy as he smiled.

Brooke pulled out three tiny little basketball jerseys, all with the name Scott on the back, and the Tree Hill Ravens lettering on the front. They were perfect replicas. The one she handed Lucas had the number 21 on the back, and the ones she gave Nathan had the numbers 15 and 25 on them. Jamie and Nathan had had a conversation about what numbers the babies should be, and those were what they had come up with.

"Brooke, these are awesome!" Lucas said with a smile.

"And I have lots of fabric, so we can make more as they grow," Brooke explained proudly.

"Best gift we've gotten," Nathan said, making Haley shake her head, though they all knew that she loved the gift as well.

"And at least we know their last names are right," Peyton teased, sending a wink to Haley.

"OK, then give me ideas, Miss Sarcastic!" she said.

"Tell me the boy's name first," Peyton bargained, raising an eyebrow. Haley and Nathan exchanged a look, and he gave her a nod, letting her know she could tell if she wanted to.

"It's Brian," Haley said.

"For Whitey," Skills pointed out, smiling.

"That's great," Lucas said sincerely. Nathan just nodded, and shared glances with the guys who'd learned as much from their former coach as he had. He couldn't wait to take his newborn son and daughter to see Whitey. Knowing him, he'd probably tear up at the honour, and Nathan wanted to see that for sure.

"OK. Brian..." Peyton said, pondering a name for the little girl in her arms. She could see that Brooke was just dying to hold one of the babies, so she handed the little pink bundle to her.

"Come on, what names did you have for a girl?" Haley asked.

"No way! I'm not telling you!" Peyton cried with a laugh. "You'll pull a Monica from Friends and steal it!"

"I will not," Haley scoffed, waving off her friend's concern. "Come on."

"Ugh. Fine," Peyton said, before sighing dramatically. She looked over to Lucas and he was just smiling at her. She knew, just _knew_, that Haley was going to steal their name, so she purposely didn't say the one that Lucas loved. "Isabelle."

Haley just gasped and covered her hand with her mouth, making them all laugh.

"Sorry," she said, wiping away the tear that was threatening to fall.

"Haley, take it," Peyton insisted softly. "If you love it, you should use it. We don't even have a girl."

"Peyton, we can't," she said, shaking her head.

"Sure you can," Peyton said with a shrug. "It's yours. She's definitely an Isabelle. Besides, Isaac and Izzie? We just can't have that."

"Are you sure?" Haley asked, looking back down at the little girl in her arms.

"Absolutely," Peyton said, feeling Lucas' hand on her hip as he stood behind her.

Nathan took Haley's hand in his and gave it a squeeze, letting her know that he, too, loved that name.

"Isabelle," Haley said. "Isabelle Penelope, and Brian Davis Scott."

"What?" Brooke said with wide eyes.

"Brooke, I've told you before that you're a part of our family. Peyton and Lucas may be their Godparents, but you are going to be there for them, too," Haley said, unable to keep herself from tearing up. "We wouldn't have it any other way."

"Thank you guys," Brooke said tearfully.

What Brooke had wanted all along, since the time she was old enough to realize that her parents didn't care about her, was a family. She had a wonderful husband who she loved more than anything, girlfriends who were as good as sisters, and plenty of little nephews and a niece to spoil. She'd never been happier.

They all stayed and chatted a while longer, and then Nathan and Haley were told they could leave later that evening. Brooke and Skills offered to take Jamie back to the house and watch him until they returned home, and Lucas and Peyton each kissed the twins and said their goodbyes to Nathan and Haley.

As soon as they'd stepped through the door to their home, Isaac started crying, and Peyton immediately knew he was hungry. Lucas wondered how she knew the baby's schedule already, and she explained that it was just instinct. He certainly couldn't argue with that. He tidied the living room and checked their voicemail while she went to the nursery with the baby.

When he realized she'd been gone for longer than usual, he walked down the hall to find her asleep in that old wooden rocking chair, with the baby sleeping in her arms. He just laughed softly and picked up his son, mumbled something about his mother looking beautiful when she slept, and placed the boy in his crib.

He knelt down beside Peyton and took her left hand in his, running his thumb over her wedding band, and watched as she stirred awake.

"Oh!" she said sleepily. "Did I...?"

"He's fine. I just put him down," Lucas said softly, smiling at her and erasing her worry. "Come on, why don't you lay down?"

"Will you lay down with me?" she asked, though she already knew he would.

"I'll do anything with you."


	20. She's Everything to Me

**A/N:** This is the last chapter. Thank you all so much for sticking with this totally fluffy, not-very-dramatic, fic. It has been one of my faves to write, and I hope you enjoy the ending! You are all fantastic.

**----**

_5 Years Later..._

"Peyt, Soph!" Lucas called up the stairs.

"Coming! One minute!" Peyton yelled back.

"Son, you had better get used to waiting now," Lucas said with a smile, looking down at his 5-year-old. "Girls are always making us wait."

But the end result was always worth it. He watched as Peyton and Sophia Scott walked down the stairs, and he had to smile. His wife was in the simple summer dress she knew he loved, and his daughter was wearing jeans and a purple tee shirt, and the little black Converse sneakers Peyton had proudly found the last time they were in Charlotte.

Lucas Scott loved his girls.

Sophia Bailey Scott was three going on 15. She had her mothers' attitude and those same green eyes, much Lucas' dismay or delight, depending on which day you asked him. She had a head of wild blonde curls, and she was always up to something - had some plan in place or some trick up her sleeve. She was her mother's daughter. She hated colouring books, choosing instead to draw her own pictures, or fill in the outlines her mother had drawn for her. She was artistic and opinionated, and Lucas wouldn't have it any other way.

Isaac, even at such a young age, was fiercely protective over both his little sister and his mother, and Lucas couldn't be more proud of that fact. Scott men, after all, tended to watch over their girls like no other. He was the spitting image of his father, right down the the books he always carried around. His daddy taught him to read at a young age, and they'd have ridiculously indepth discussions about Dr. Seuss books. Peyton laughed, but she secretly thought it adorable, and could see the image of her husband and son when they were all older, sitting at the kitchen table and drinking coffee, rambling on about Shakespeare or Faulkner. Isaac had been playing basketball since he'd known how to walk, just like all the other Scott boys. He was quiet and kindhearted, and Karen insisted he was the same as Lucas was as a young child. He was a bit of a mamma's boy, which surprisingly, both Lucas and Peyton loved. He was their first born, and he and Peyton shared a bond that even Lucas couldn't understand sometimes.

The first couple years, before Sophia was born, Peyton, Lucas and Isaac formed a perfect little family. Peyton and Lucas were a fantastic tag team, and they had their schedules down to a science. Lucas released another book, but was never away for more than three days at a time. Peyton worked from home quite a bit during the first year, and between her flexible schedule and Lucas', the three of them managed to spend far more time together than most new families.

They started traditions that neither Lucas nor Peyton had gotten to enjoy as children. Simple things, like their Sunday dinners, which just included more high chairs at the table. Days at the beach in the summer, or day trips to zoos and other places suitable for their young boy. They knew that, at 1 and 2 years old, Isaac would have been too young to really understand what was going on, but they had a camera, and they had each other, and they were making memories.

Sophia came along, and it was more of the same - they kept those same traditions and started even more. Isaac was enamored with her as soon as she was brought home from the hospital. He was careful and gentle with her. The first time Peyton was holding Sophia on the couch and Isaac climbed up to kiss his sister's forehead, Peyton actually cried. And when the boy saw her tears, he reached out with his little hand and carefully brushed them away, then kissed her cheek.

Yes, Isaac Scott was so much like his father that it almost scared Peyton sometimes.

His first word was mama, which made Lucas jealous, though the boy had said dada only days later. Sophie's first word was cookie, making Peyton, Lucas, and Isaac all laugh hysterically. Chocolate chip cookies were still her favourite, something Lucas was oddly smug about. He was even more smug that her second word was dada. He'd scooped her up into his arms and made her giggle as soon as the word had left her mouth. They all knew - from that point, if not before then - that Sophie was going to be a the biggest daddy's girl their small town had ever seen.

"OK. Let's go!" Peyton said from the door, slinging her bag over her shoulder. "Jamie's 11th birthday party awaits."

"Daddy, carry me," Sophie pleaded, smiling as she flashed her father those eyes that he knew would be causing him a lot of anxiety in about 10 years' time.

"Alright, Bug," he said, lifting her up effortlessly and perching her on his left arm.

Bug was the nickname he'd started calling her pretty much as soon as she was old enough to scoot around on the floor. Her favourite stuffed animal had been a bumble bee - a gift from her Godmother, Brooke - and she, for some reason, loved lady bugs even before she could talk. Bug seemed fitting.

Peyton took Isaac's hand as they started out the door and made their way down the street. They'd moved into Nathan and Haley's neighbourhood just before Sophie was born. Lucas' fourth novel had just been released at the time, and they'd never been more financially secure. It was his first best seller, and Mia's third album had just gone double platinum. To say their bank account was padded would have been an understatement.

It was a beautiful new home with a pool and 5 bedrooms. A kitchen any chef would envy and 4 full bathrooms. Peyton and Lucas each had their own office, and the house was just perfect for them. The fact that it was only two blocks from Nathan and Haley, and there was a park halfway between had been the selling point.

"Mommy, can I run ahead?" Isaac asked.

"Not too far," she said with a smile, releasing his hand and watching as he took off as fast as his little legs could carry him. She knew nothing would happen in the 50 or so feet between them and their destination, but it was a lesson she wanted him to know nonetheless.

"I wanna run, too!" Sophie informed them quickly. Lucas set her down on her feet and patted her behind as she took off after her brother, shouting for him to wait up, which he did.

Lucas wrapped his arm around Peyton's shoulder, and she wrapped hers around his waist as they walked, watching as Isaac took Sophie's hand in his and the two of them walked together. If either Peyton or Lucas wasn't holding his sister's hand, Isaac always made sure that he was. Lucas smiled at that every time he was witness to it.

"We make beautiful babies," Peyton said, looking up at her husband. He pecked her gently on the lips and looked back to their children.

"Yes, we do," he agreed. It wasn't the first time she'd made such a statement, and his response was always the same.

Nathan was waiting at the end of the drive, having heard Sophie's little voice telling Isaac that she and Izzie were going to do 'girl things' at the party and stay away from the boys. He scooped his niece up into his arms, making her squeal and giggle as he so loved to make her do.

"Natey!" she cried as he held her upside down and tickled her tummy. "Daddy! Help!"

"Come on, little brother, quit tormenting my girl," Lucas said with a laugh, taking Sophie in his arms and kissing the apple of her cheek before setting her down again. "Go on and say hi to Haley and your cousins."

"OK!" she chirped happily. "I'm gonna get you back, Natey!"

"You try!" he called after her as she giggled and ran into the house.

Nathan had a soft spot for the littlest Scott. She was all sass, and she reminded him of how Peyton was when they were kids, before the world got to her. She was cuddly and playful, and she just loved her uncle Nathan. He wasn't sure why she insisted on calling him 'Natey', but she was the only one who did it, and he kind of loved it.

"Hey Sawyer, Isaac."

"Hey uncle Nathan," Isaac said, reaching out his hand to his uncle to do the secret 'Scott Men' handshake they'd all come up with a couple years prior.

"Jamie and Brian are in playing Rock Band and I think they need a drummer," he said with a smile, watching Isaac's face light up.

"I'm on it!" he said before running into the house.

"I can't believe Jamie didn't want a big huge party," Peyton said as they made their way towards the front door.

"He insisted he just wanted family," Nathan said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I mean, we all hang out all the time, but who am I to say anything?"

Nathan closed the door behind them and took the perfectly wrapped gifts from Peyton's arms, and they all walked toward the kitchen, where everyone always seemed to congregate.

"It's just too bad Brooke isn't here," Peyton said sadly.

"Yeah, too bad," the brunette said from her place at the counter.

"Brooke!" Peyton squealed, flying into her friend's arms. "I thought you were in New York until next week!"

"Like I'd miss my Godson's birthday!" Brooke admonished.

"Speaking of Godbabies, where's Jayda?" Peyton asked, eyes gleaming as she looked around for the little girl.

"She was exhausted from the trip, and so was her daddy, so they're sleeping upstairs right now. They'll be down soon," Brooke explained.

Brooke announced her pregnancy shortly after Sophie was born, and no one had ever seen her so happy. She had an easy pregnancy, but a tough delivery. She was in labour for 32 hours, which made both Peyton and Haley cringe to even think about. The baby ended up being breech, making everything all the more difficult.

But the end result was a beautiful little girl with her daddy's eyes and her mommy's dimples. Brooke and Skills asked Peyton and Lucas to be Godparents to Jayda Karin Taylor. And yes, Karen Roe had turned into a blubbering mess when Brooke had introduced the baby to her, explaining through her own tears that Karen had been more of a mother to her than anyone.

After Isaac and the twins were born, Brooke's design career took off again. She'd designed an entire line of maternity clothes, eventually branching out into couture gowns. She was a household name, but her work took her out of town every once in a while. She was supposed to be on a two week trip to New York, but she'd apparently bowed out early to be home in time for the party.

"Leave it to Skills to come to a party and take a nap," Lucas joked, making them all laugh.

As terrified as Skills had been at even the thought of becoming a father, the idea grew on him quickly after Isaac, Brian and Isabelle were born. Between the time he'd spent with Jamie in the years prior, and then being around the babies, he was a pro, itching to have children of his own. When they found out Brooke was pregnant, he didn't stop smiling for three straight weeks - just until Brooke's hormones had her (in his words) becoming vicious. Jayda was a total daddy's girl. Then again, so were Isabelle and Sophie.

"Mommy, can we swim?" Isabelle asked, looking up at Haley with those big brown eyes she'd inherited from her mom.

"Only if daddy or uncle Lucas will go with you," Haley said, looking to the Scott brothers expectantly.

"Come on, kiddo," Nathan said, tugging off his shirt and tossing it at Haley when she whistled at him semi-teasingly.

Isabelle was exactly like her mother. Cut from the same cloth. Smart and quiet and more caring than a girl of 5 had any business being. She was always watching over everyone, and she liked to play with everyone else, but not when the activity was messy. All the women knew already that she'd be an amazing mother when the time came. Nathan warned that she had better wait longer than her own mother had. That had earned him a slap to the arm from his wife, but approving and understanding looks from Lucas and Skills.

"Sophie, you want to swim?" Peyton asked, watching as her daughter sat on Brooke's lap and crunched a carrot stick.

"Will Bry and Isaac come, too?" she asked.

"You boys want to swim?" Lucas called into the living room. He noticed there was no one there, and that all three boys were outside already, waiting not-so-patiently for an adult to join them.

"Come on!" Brian shouted with a smirk. The same smirk his brother, father, cousin and uncle had. That thing was hereditary.

It was interesting how Brian's personality had developed. He was a unique mix of the man he was named after, and his father. He was kind and gentle and very intelligent, but he had a temper when provoked, and sometimes he was a little too competitive for his own good. He got into a fight at pre-school because some boy drew on Isabelle's shirt with marker and made her cry. He was doubly protective over her because not only was she his sister, but she was his twin. Of all his children, Nathan felt he had most in common with Brian - he had been the same as a boy. He made a promise to himself not to let his son become the teenager he had been.

As soon as Nathan and the girls stepped out onto the deck, the boys did synchronized canonballs into the pool, creating a huge splash that had the girls giggling, and Nathan threatening to start a huge water fight.

Lucas went outside to be another set of eyes while Nathan chaperoned in the water. Lucas stayed on dry land, but watched all the kids' dives and jumps and called out encouraging things each time.

The women stayed inside preparing food and talking about Brooke's trip. It wasn't an unusual thing at all. In the years prior, they'd had a countless amount of these types of gatherings, and all of them were thrilled that their kids were growing up together and going to the same schools.

They were in the middle of a conversation on what they had planned for their summers now that Lucas and Haley didn't have to work again until September, when Skills came down the stairs with Jayda on his hip.

"Hey baby," he said, leaning over to kiss Brooke's temple.

"Pey," Jayda cooed, reaching over to her Godmother.

"Hey baby girl," Peyton said happily, taking the girl from her father.

Brooke's eyebrow shot up when Skills took his shirt off and draped it over the back of her chair.

"Not the time or place," she teased seductively, making Haley groan and make a face. "But I could probably convince P. Scott here to watch Jayda for a while."

"I'm going swimming!" he told her as he smiled, racing for the door.

He ran outside and jumped right into the pool, making everyone laugh and squeal - even more so when they saw that Lucas was nearly soaked from the waist up. He looked in at Peyton as though asking for help, but she just shrugged her shoulders, too wrapped up in the little girl on her hip to really worry about a little bit of water. He shot her a scowl that she knew he was faking, and she blew him a kiss.

Once Nathan quit playing in the pool, he and Lucas fired up the grill and they all ate and laughed over dinner, waiting until afterward for Jamie to open his presents, which, of course, he loved. They all ate far too much cake and ice cream before the kids went outside to the front yard to play basketball. Jayda toddled around and Sophie held her hand since she'd decided she didn't really want to play ball. Brooke and Peyton's hearts swelled at the sight of their little girls and the bond they already shared.

Nathan and Skills took turns lifting up the boys so they could 'dunk', since it was Lucas' turn to do the dishes - which of course, he'd complained about as soon as the topic was brought up. He'd spent the entire night before trying to convince Peyton to help him come up with excuses he could give to get out of the task.

Basketball was still the backbone of almost everything. The boys all loved to play, and they were all talented, and their fathers weren't just saying that. Jamie was in junior leagues and the leading scorer on his team He wore number 12, just as he'd always said he would.

Peyton, Isaac and Sophie sat with Haley, Brooke, Jayda, Isabelle, Jamie and Brian at every Ravens game, home or away, and the kids donned their little jerseys. Brooke, true to her word, had made new ones each time they grew out of them. Jayda, of course, had her own as well. They were quite the little cheering section, and Nathan, Lucas and Skills loved to look over and see them all sitting there, cheering for the Ravens and clapping wildly. When they'd won the state championship the year before, the women had all teared up remembering that time all those years ago when they felt such a similar sensation.

Peyton watched on with a smile as Isaac faked right and moved left around his uncle, knowing that Nathan had let him score. He'd 'lost' more games since the boys had started playing than he had in his entire life.

She'd had hardly been within ten feet of Lucas all day, and when she was, they were helping the kids or cleaning up or doing something else that required their attention to be focused on anything but each other.

Everyone joked that Lucas and Peyton had forgotten that the honeymoon phase was supposed to be over after about a year. They still couldn't keep their hands off each other, and they absolutely hated to be apart.

"You look so damn sexy," he whispered in a low voice as he came up behind her and placed a hand on her hip, pressing his body against hers.

"Thank you," she said back. "I figure I better wear this dress while I can."

She felt him tense behind her, wondering what that statement meant, and he had a furrowed brow when she turned around to face him. She smiled and he looked at her expectantly.

"I'm pregnant," she said, watching his face light up.

He'd never get sick of hearing those words. The first time, he'd been away from her for a month and it was the best homecoming he could have ever even imagined. With Sophie, it was similar in that it was planned, but they hadn't had to try at all, really, and she became pregnant. Lucas had been battling a cold and she had taken Isaac out for the day under the guise of wanting to keep their son away from his sniffling father. She'd really gone to the doctor to confirm what she'd already suspected. When she returned home, she lay next to him on the bed and he'd promptly started complaining about how horribly he felt. She said those same two words, and it was like he was healed immediately.

This time, he had her in his arms so quickly that it made her laugh and it took her a moment before she reciprocated. He didn't say anything, just kissed her below her ear, then on the cheek, then on the lips.

"So I take it you're happy, then?" she teased after he'd pulled away slightly.

"You have no idea," he said with a smile, leaning in to kiss her again. "I love you so much."

"I love you, too," she echoed, letting him wipe away a tear of joy from her cheek.

"Boy or girl, you think?" he asked, smirking because he knew she wouldn't care which, and neither did he.

"Girl with my eyes, or boy with your smirk?" she asked with a raised brow, knowing he'd asked the same question when she'd told him she was pregnant last time.

"I love you," he repeated before kissing her and pulling her against him.

He murmured something amazingly sexy in her ear and she blushed and opened her mouth to remind him of where they were, but he just kissed her again and told her that he couldn't wait to get her home.

"Mommy, Jayda said my name right!" Sophie said excitedly, running towards Peyton. "Finally!"

"She did?" Peyton asked, pulling her daughter into her arms. Lucas leaned over and kissed his daughter's forehead.

Jayda had been calling Sophie, 'Soap', and they'd all been waiting - no one more than Sophie - for the day when her speech would be developed enough to pronounce it properly.

"Uh huh," Sophie said, nodding her head. She let out a yawn, and Lucas checked his watch and noted that it had been a long day.

"You tired, Bug?" he asked as she rest her head on Peyton's shoulder.

"No," she said, obviously a blatant lie. She raised her arm and rubbed her eye with her hand balled into a fist, one of Lucas' favourite things she did. He fell in love with her a little bit more every time he saw her do it. He couldn't explain it, he just found it absolutely adorable.

"What do you think, daddy?" Peyton asked, looking at him imploringly, letting him know that the moniker had more even meaning now. "You think we should go home?"

He took a deep breath as he thought of being alone with his wife after the kids were asleep.

"I think that sounds perfect," he admitted in a voice only Peyton would know was meant to make her heart race, which it did. "Go say bye to everyone, Soph."

Peyton set the girl down and they watched as her curls bounced as she hugged and said goodbye to everyone, to their family.

"Mommy! Mom! Watch me!" Isaac shouted, dribbling the ball once he had her attention, and tossing it through the net with ease.

"Nice! Good work, honey!" she called back to him as he smiled the same way Lucas always used to after sinking a shot. Lucas wrapped his arms around her waist and she turned her head to look at him. "He couldn't be any more like you if he tried."

"What do you think this one will be like?" he asked, running his hand over her stomach.

"Both of us. The best of both of us," she said quietly, resting her hands over his.

_**-Fin-**_


End file.
